THREE special residents from Chester have been honoured at a tree planting ceremony at a care home in the city.

Anthony Wilcox, Dave Whitehead and Tony Woodward were named Local Heroes by Care UK’s Deewater Grange, on Chester Road, and were invited to the home to receive their reward.

The Local Heroes competition aimed to reward residents, charities, groups or clubs making a positive difference in the community. 

Both active members of the Parish Council, Anthony was commended for his dedication to improve green spaces in Huntingdon, while Dave was praised for his crucial contribution to keeping all defibrillators operational, plus tending to the local war memorial, and performing repairs to the library. Similarly, Tony’s mission to keep streets and public areas clean at all times was lauded by the home team and residents.

Chester and District Standard: Deewater Grange held a tree planting ceremony to honour three men who'd had a significant impact on

On the day, the local heroes joined residents to plant a Paperback Maple in the home’s garden as part of a special tree planting ceremony in the home’s garden. A time capsule, filled with messages from residents, newspaper clippings, local information, plus details on current prices for common grocery items and technology was also buried, and will only be reopened in a century.

All three winners received a framed certificate of appreciation, a plant, as well as some chocolates and a bottle of wine.

Sally Cooper, Home Manager at Deewater Grange, said: “We all know someone in the community who goes above and beyond for others – here, it’s Anthony, Dave and Tony.

“The nominations we received on their behalf were so heartwarming there was no doubt in our mind that they embodied what it means to be a local hero. It was great to welcome them to the home to present them with their prize and mark the occasion with a symbolic tree planting ceremony.

“Now, the trees will always be a reminder of their selflessness, and we look forward to watching them grow!”

The home is a state-of-the-art residential, dementia and nursing care facility designed to enable residents to continue to live active and fulfilled lives.

To find out more, contact Customer Relations Manager Andrew Kenny on andrew.kenny@careuk.com or call 01244 259480 or visit the Care UK website.