With 2021 marking 95 years since a public meeting chaired by Ada Chesterton helped raise £5,000 to launch predecessor company Cecil Houses, Central and Cecil Housing Trust (C&C) is announcing a special fundraising project to raise over five times that figure, with the aim of installing sensory gardens at each of its four care homes.

The “Move for Care” initiative will invite C&C residents, colleagues and wider supporters to take part in two separate challenges that intend to attract donations and sponsorships which could enable the gardens to be built at the homes, which are situated in Richmond and Camden.

The challenges set by C&C are:

January 2022: a month-long step challenge. This encourages participants to stay active and keep moving throughout the month of January, and also to raise awareness of the ‘extra mile’ our carers go daily to support residents. Participants will be encouraged to set realistic targets for themselves across a day, week, or the whole month – and C&C is hoping to record at least 9.5 million steps (equating to over 3,300 miles) across all who take part.
February 2022: a fortnight-long dance-a-thon. This will comprise in-person and virtual dance activities, including two dedicated Facebook Live events. Participants will be given opportunities to take part in new activities such as Latin dance and freestyle dancing, along with more established styles including seated dance exercise classes and Zumba Gold.
The aim of the initiative is to raise £25,000. Sponsorship and fundraising donations can be made online, while individuals and businesses keen to find out more about the project can get in touch by e-mailing [email protected].

Julia Ashley, C&C Chief Executive, said:

“To celebrate 95 years of building communities and providing affordable homes in London, we really want to do something that residents, colleagues and the public alike can get involved in, while raising money for something special and life-changing for our care home residents.

“The physical and mental health benefits associated with staying active cannot be overstated. In addition, “Move for Care” will be encouraging people of all ages to try something different and get moving at a time of year where it’s so easy to do little or no exercise. And there’s a huge fundraising incentive as well – as we hope the sensory gardens, which would provide amazing therapeutic outdoor spaces for residents to relax and enjoy, can become a reality.”

With a number of C&C’s care home residents living with dementia, the sensory gardens are recognised as an ideal place to provide a stimulating environment that can aid their physical fitness, health, mood and cognition. A special video about the Move for Care initiative, featuring C&C care residents, staff and garden designers, can be found on our Youtube channel.

C&C celebrates 95 years with interactive timeline

As well as the fundraising exercise, C&C is taking the opportunity to celebrate its 95th anniversary with a focus on its rich history, publishing articles about some of the key individuals who helped form and shape the organisation, and hearing from current residents aged 95 or more about their experiences living in C&C properties.

We have built an interactive timeline of various events since 1926 that show the company’s growth, and wider events that have had an impact on the UK’s housing market. You can view this timeline here: https://www.sutori.com/en/story/c-c-at-95–eUcBSaKPYz4EMQ51c6Z6AS2m