HC-One’s Sedgley Court Care Home in Dudley, West Midlands, welcomed visitors and guests from their local community to participate in this year’s Care Home Open Week celebrations from Monday, June 16 until Sunday June 22, 2025.
The home's main celebration events took place during Care Home Open Weekend on Friday, June 20, 2025. Sedgley Court Care Home welcomed residents, colleagues, friends, family and the wider community to ‘The Big Summer Weekender’ event.
Care Home Open Week is a national event hosted by Championing Social Care, designed to connect care homes with their local communities. The week offers care homes the opportunity to showcase their range of services, provide tours of their facilities, and highlight the activities that are offered to residents.
The event is also a reminder to the homes’ neighbours that they are there if they need support. Throughout the week, residents, colleagues, families, and friends enjoyed a variety of fun-filled activities culminating in an end-of-week celebration at the home.
The event also sought to connect the homes with their neighbours, highlighting the communal support that the home can provide. HC-One’s chosen theme for this year’s Care Home Open Week was ‘The Big Summer Weekender’ emulating the nostalgic feel of British summer holidays with a variety of fun-filled activities culminating in an end-of-week celebration at the home.
Sedgley Court Care Home hosted a vibrant Beach Bonanza celebration with residents, families, and a very special guest Dave Heeley OBE, affectionately known as “Blind Dave”. Stacey, a long-time advocate for wellbeing and volunteerism, shared how Sedgley Court is a place where residents come to live life to the fullest, not simply to receive care.
Her connection with Dave spans over two decades, having been inspired by his tireless charity work and motivational spirit. Dora Whitehouse, Sedgley Court resident, who is registered blind, reminded Stacey of Dave’s incredible journey.
On the day, residents enjoyed traditional ice creams from Scott Whippy. Live entertainment from singer Beth Sherburn and musical duo Marilyn and Mel filled the air with music, while the sun shone down on a garden full of laughter and conversation.
Dave arrived with his beloved guide dog, Peter, and was warmly welcomed by resident representative Alan Wedge. Alan gave Dave a tour of the home, introduced him to fellow residents, and shared stories over coffee.
Dave expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome and the opportunity to take a break from his busy schedule. Dave also shared stories of his recent achievements, including completing the 2025 London Marathon with his three daughters, raising an incredible £37,400 for the Albion Foundation.
Dave Heeley OBE said:
“On arriving at Sedgley Court, I was greeted by friendly staff and a resident named Alan. Alan walked me into the communal lounge and introduced me to more of the residents and, on first impressions, they all seemed very happy and the whole place had a wonderful vibe.
“I had a lovely chat with Alan, then listened to a nice young lady who sang some wonderful old tunes. With an ice cream in hand, I had a lovely couple of hours listening to songs and the residents certainly enjoyed themselves. It is certainly the place to chill, and I relaxed completely with residents, what a wonderful place to live and enjoy retirement.”
Residents were inspired by his tales of endurance and resilience, from running seven marathons on seven continents in seven days to conquering the Marathon des Sables and cycling from Colditz Castle to West Bromwich.
Emma Chaffe, HC-One’s Sedgley Court Care Home Manager, commented:
“We were absolutely delighted to welcome members of our local community to Sedgley Court as part of this year’s Care Home Open Week. It was a fantastic opportunity to highlight the compassionate, person-centred care we provide every day, and to share the vibrant, welcoming atmosphere that makes our home so special.
“The event also gave us a chance to connect with families, friends, and neighbours, and to celebrate the incredible individuals who live and work here.”
Joan Marr, HC-One’s Sedgley Court resident, added:
“He is such a lovely man, he shook my hand and said hello to everyone. It was so nice to hear about his close relationship with his daughters who are grown up now and run the Marathons with him.
“He is so proud of his girls and rightly so. We hope he will come back and see us again sometime.”