CARE home residents have been getting creative in time for Halloween by making scarecrows of their favourite characters.
From Spongebob Squarepants to Alice in Wonderland, residents at Dashwood Manor in Beggarwood were encouraged to get crafty and create scarecrows from scratch for Care UKs third annual Scarecrow Festival.
Residents had a ‘bale of a time’ hosting its popular autumnal festival with the help of a special guest.
The care home, on Bradley Way, invited members of the community, local groups and other nearby care homes to participate and have fun making scarecrows.
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Residents made a number of popular characters ncluding Spongebob Squarepants, Alice in Wonderland, Humpty Dumpty and Mary Poppins and can seen standing proud in Dashwood Manor’s gardens.
The scarecrows were judged by the Mayor of Basingstoke, cllr Dan Putty with a trophy given to Mary Jane and Marvin for their Texas cowboy scarecrow.
Second place was awarded to St Mary’s Church for their Alice in Wonderland creation, while third place went to Bickerton House care home for their unique Picasso scarecrow.
Roger Marshall, a resident at the home, said: "I loved seeing all the scarecrows at the festival.
"I lived in a town so never really saw them growing up but I always enjoyed spotting them if we went to the countryside.
"I had great fun making a sunflower scarecrow – sadly we didn’t win but all the entries were very impressive."
Dil Perera, home manager at Dashwood Manor, added: "We all enjoyed getting crafty with our scarecrows and welcoming the local community for Dashwood Manor’s Scarecrow Festival once again.
"The festival is growing more popular by the year, and both team members and residents loved seeing such creative spirit from the community.
"I know the Mayor had a hard time deciding which one should be crowned the winner, as there were so many wonderful creations.
"However, Mary Jane and Marvin impressed everyone with their Texas cowboy, with a very detailed paper mâché head and stick arms, which was ultimately voted as most outstanding in its field.
"Everyone at Dashwood Manor would like to thank those who created a scarecrow or came along to the event.
"It was fantastic to see even more of the community involved this year with so many wonderful entries – we can’t wait to continue this tradition for many years to come."
The scarecrow competition marked the first of Dashwood Manor’s Harvest Festival events this autumn, with residents and team members also encouraging the local community to donate their extra, unused or unwanted non-perishable food items to a new foodbank drop-off-point – located in the care home’s reception.
The drop-off point, which will see donations made to Basingstoke Food Bank, is now live at Dashwood Manor until Sunday, October 20.
To find out more about Care UK’s Harvest Festival, please visit www.careuk.com/harvest-festival
Dashwood Manor is designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives while also promoting independence. The care home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities with luxury facilities, including a café, hair and beauty salon, cinema, bar and gardens.
To find out more about Dashwood Manor, please call Customer Relations Manager, Leahanne Wilkinson, on 01256 805988, or email leahanne.wilkinson@careuk.com
For more information about Dashwood Manor, visit: careuk.com/Dashwood-Manor
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