Epsom care home team celebrates winning national award

An Epsom care home is celebrating after winning the Arts in Care Homes Award at a prestigious national ceremony.  

Care UK’s Appleby House, on Longmead Road, has proudly accepted the ‘Arts in Care Homes’ Award at the National Activity Providers Association Awards.

The awards recognises organisations that show a commitment and passion for embedding arts-based activities into their work, demonstrating the difference they can make to people’s lives.

Appleby House prides itself on offering creative therapies, even establishing its own ‘Appleby Tate Gallery’ for residents to display their artwork. The care home is also the first in the UK to take part in Art Explorer, an initiative which allows virtual visits to art galleries around the world with real-time interaction with works on display. 

Judges praised the team at Appleby House for their strong emphasis on community involvement. The home has formed strong relationships with local primary and secondary schools, and each week pupils are invited to take part in activities such as painting, pottery, poetry, and music with residents. 

Each year, the home hosts its legendary gala musical evening for local people, and the Home Manager, Shona Badbury, also sits on the steering group for Arts in Care Homes. Through this initiative, team members have taken part in an 11-week course with Live Music Now to develop a residents’ choir. These activities have helped residents in improve communication and concentration skills, as well as providing an opportunity for everyone to make new friends and connections.

Commenting on the win, Shona said: “We are thrilled to have won the Arts in Care Homes Award at the National Activity Providers Association Awards. 

“Here at Appleby House, we work incredibly hard to engrain art of all forms into our activity schedule, and while we have seen the benefits doing this first-hand, it is wonderful to receive this recognition. This is testament to the team’s dedication to encouraging residents to find their inner creativity and rediscover enjoyable hobbies. 

“I am incredibly proud of the team for their consistent passion for delivering a whole range of activities and would like to take this opportunity to say thank you. The work you do is greatly appreciated by me, residents and their relatives. Well done everyone for this spectacular achievement!”

Appleby House has been designed to encourage residents to live active and fulfilling lives, while remaining as independent as possible in a safe environment. The modern care home provides full-time residential, nursing and specialist dementia care.