South East care home group turn waste into remarkable art in eco-conscious creature competition
Residents from a family-run care home group across the South East have been proving that one person’s rubbish really is another’s treasure - by transforming discarded materials into dragons, horses, birds and mythical beasts as part of an inspiring new eco-art competition.
Nellsar’s first-ever Crafty Creature Competition, launched under its sustainability pledge “Caring for the Future,” challenged teams across its 13 homes to build imaginative creatures using only recycled or repurposed materials found within their care settings.
From beach balls and bonfire scraps to fabric offcuts and broken coat rails, residents and team members used their creativity to give everyday waste a second life - turning what would have been thrown away into colourful, characterful creations.
Viv Stead, Head of Recreation and Well-being at Nellsar, who co-judged the entries, said: “This competition brought sustainability to life in such a joyful, tangible way. It showed that even within a care home environment, we can think green, be creative and make a real impact - not just through the art itself, but through the conversations, the teamwork and the sense of purpose it inspired among our residents.”
The winning entry came from The Old Downs Residential Care Centre in Dartford, where residents created a striking robin from recycled household items - inspired by a real-life garden visitor who brings comfort to the home each day.
The robin, named Redbreast, was built using repurposed beach balls, leftover cardboard and buttons. Its red chest was crafted using residents’ handprints in the shape of a heart and it now sits proudly in a nest made of disused packing paper and feathers. For taking first place, the home was awarded a solar-powered garden water feature worth £250.
Luminita Mandache, Quality Development and Innovation Manager at Nellsar, said: “It was creative, moving and perfectly captured the message behind this competition - that sustainability isn’t just about waste, it’s about care, memory and meaning. Across all the homes, we saw materials that would usually be discarded given new life - not just as art, but as a way to connect people and promote eco-conscious living.”
Second place was awarded to Hengist Field Care Centre who constructed Rowena the Horse and won £200 of garden centre vouchers for eco-friendly purchases. Made from a broken clothes rail, old cola bottles and even false eyelashes, Rowena was a nod to the home’s Viking heritage. Her backstory, written by resident David, added an extra layer of character and charm.
Awarded £100 of garden centre vouchers in third place, Sonya Lodge Residential Care Centre created ‘Spread Your Wings and Fly’. Rather than build a creature, the home created colourful recycled wings for residents to pose in front of - transforming themselves into the Crafty Creature. The project involved local schoolchildren, making it an uplifting intergenerational effort.
All participating homes received wildflower bee bombs to support biodiversity in their gardens - further extending the competition’s sustainability message beyond the art and into everyday life.
Viv added: “This wasn’t just about creating something beautiful. It was about starting important conversations around waste and sustainability and showing that care homes can be part of the solution.”
You can view the full list of Craft Creatures on the Nellsar website: https://www.nellsar.com/news/look-out-for-a-crafty-creature-in-a-nellsar-home-near-you/