Urmston care home De Brook Lodge has been crowned the North West winner of Ideal Carehome’s annual ‘Gardens in Bloom’ competition.

The contest, which launched in May, encouraged both staff and residents across the operator’s 18 homes to work together to embrace their love of the great outdoors by devising and implementing an exciting revamp for their outdoor spaces.

De Brook Lodge residents and staff joined forces to introduce new seating areas, paint fences and flowerbeds, decorate planters and birdhouses, and plant up new hanging baskets, pots and a vegetable garden. A special fairy garden has also been created for residents’ younger visitors to enjoy.

The garden transformation was a real community effort, with some paints, materials and helping hands provided by Chep UK, Wellacre Boys’ School, St Monica’s School, B&Q, M41 Tyres, Beseeka’s, and local electrician Bob Large.

De Brook Lodge lifestyle manager, Danielle Aikenhead, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be the North West Winner – all of the credit must go to our amazing residents who embraced the competition with such gusto. We are extremely grateful to have had such overwhelming support from so many local businesses and also from our green-fingered helpers at Wellacre Academy and St Monica’s Primary School – it really has been a labour of love for so many different parts of the local community and we hope they are as thrilled with the end result as we are!”

Stacey Linn, Ideal Carehomes’ Director, said: “De Brook Lodge should be very proud to be our North West winner – our judges were astonished at just how much effort and thought had clearly gone into their project and how much the community rallied together to bring plans to life. We know that people living with us take huge pride in their gardens and we hope that the warm weather continues for the rest of the summer so that they can enjoy the fruits of their labour.”

The home now enters the final round of the competition, whereby judges will visit all regional winners in four weeks’ time to decide upon a national victor.

De Brook Lodge provides 24-hour residential and dementia care for up to 52 people on an inclusive fee basis for total peace of mind.

Boasting spacious lounges, a hair salon and cinema room, residents can enjoy a full programme of health, leisure and wellbeing activities, managed by a dedicated lifestyle manager.