Residents are buzzing about new sensory garden for World Bee Day

Residents were filled with excitement as they celebrated the opening of their new sensory garden on World Bee Day.

Our home takes sustainability seriously and, in the lead-up to World Bee Day, residents and team members worked together to create the wildlife-focused garden, designed to support insects, fungi and local wildlife. The sensory space self-titled the “Stumpery Garden”, features a bamboo bee and insect hotel, natural logs and bee-friendly plants.

To celebrate the launch of the garden, residents enjoyed a visit from Plan Bee, an award-winning eco-innovation business that partners with companies to install and manage beehives, boosting local biodiversity and corporate sustainability. They began collaborating with the home in January this year.

Resident Dennis, 88, who moved into our home earlier this year, said: “I love our Stumpery Garden. I don’t see many bees now, but hopefully this will help. I like watching them land on the flowers to collect pollen and it makes me remember the taste of honey when I see that.”

Resident Ann, 88, who has lived at our home just over a year, has always had a soft spot for bees. “I would never kill a bee,” she said, “even when my children were small and I was worried they might get stung.”

Throughout the day, residents enjoyed a presentation from Plan Bee, including the opportunity to see a honeycomb up close, learn more about beekeeping and take part in hands-on activities such as honey tasting and candle making. There was even an opportunity to try on a bee keeping suit.

The day was organised by our home’s Lifestyle Lead, Tina Charlwood. “Sustainability is incredibly important to us here at Acorn Court,” she said. “We are committed to supporting local wildlife and creating a natural environment for residents to enjoy. We’ve loved creating our sensory garden and always want to support residents to live with purpose, which initiatives like this really do.

“As part of our commitment to sustainability, the home also sponsored a hive with Plan Bee. Our sustainability programme focuses on environmental responsibility, staff wellbeing, and resident and community engagement, and the Stumpery Garden celebrates natural beauty and biodiversity in a way residents can really connect with.

“They’ve been so engaged in checking on the garden, watering the plants and helping to take care of it. The activities for World Bee Day really helped residents see the positive impact their work is having.”

Plan Bee’s mission is to protect and promote pollinators through sustainable beekeeping, environmental education and community-driven action. The organisation believes in creating a better future — one hive at a time — by empowering individuals, businesses and communities to support biodiversity and make a positive environmental impact.

Acorn Court is passionate about sustainability and hosts activities throughout the year that reflect those values. The home recently celebrated Earth Day in April and will also mark World Environment Day in June.

Other recent initiatives include an upcycling project refurbishing a second-hand wooden chair which was donated to Furnistore in Redhill — an organisation that helps families turn houses into homes by providing quality, affordable furniture to people facing financial hardship. The project marked the home’s first upcycling initiative and helped reconnect residents with familiar life skills, while giving them a strong sense of pride and achievement.

The team prides itself on championing independence and creating meaningful moments for residents, with projects such as the Stumpery Garden reflecting that commitment.

Home Manager, Paula Deadman, added: “We’re really pleased to have celebrated World Bee Day in this way and we all love our new garden. For residents, both the event itself and the garden project have been a wonderful sensory experience.

“From the smell of the plants to the taste of the honey, the activities sparked memories and conversations. This can be especially beneficial for people living with dementia because sensory experiences help create comfort, familiarity and connection.

“Residents also learned new skills through candle making and gained a real insight into bees and hives. We can’t wait to see how our Stumpery Garden grows and evolves.”

Acorn Court Care Home is a specialist dementia and palliative care home with 86 ensuite bedrooms, offering residential, nursing, dementia, acquired brain injury (ABI) and compassionate end-of-life care. Acorn Court Care Home is rated Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and holds Platinum Accreditation with the Gold Standards Framework for end-of-life care. The home also recently received Highly Commended in the South-East region of the Great British Care Awards 2025 in the Dignity in Care category.