We were proud to unveil our newly-renovated family residential home today (Friday, 6th March), following a major transformation delivered by the furniture retailer DFS through its long-standing partnership with BBC Children in Need.
This transformation will have a lasting impact and be life changing for Seashell families as it will enable them to stay on our site while visiting their young person living in our residential village. The new family home can also be used by parents and carers when supporting young people to settle into Seashell when they are new.
Seashell is currently receiving funding from BBC Children in Need for our inclusive sports and activity club known as “CADS”. This three year grant means children with disabilities aged 8 to 16 can receive 1-2-1 support and enjoy accessible activities with their peers.
The family home makeover project has seen DFS fully redesign and refurbish one of the houses in Seashell’s residential village, Sir Norman Stoller Way.
DFS has donated all furniture, accessories and décor as part of the transformation, with its store format team creating a completely new design scheme for the house, including layout, colour palettes and furnishings. The retailer also engaged property contractors, who donated approximately £2,000-worth of paint and provided professional decorators. Over two weeks in February and March, DFS colleagues used their annual volunteering days to help deliver a complete makeover of the property.
The transformation was inspired by the BBC programme DIY SOS, with colleagues rolling up their sleeves in a race against the clock, to deliver a meaningful and community-driven makeover.
Russ Harte, Chief Operating Officer at DFS says:
“We’re proud to donate furniture to incredible organisations like Seashell Trust, and to support our people in giving back to their local communities through volunteering days. We truly understand the benefits and the importance of a comforting and welcoming environment and are delighted to have delivered this makeover for Seashell Trust, to bring a little extra comfort to the children and families spending time at the centre.”
Liz Woodham, Interim Chief Campaign & Engagement Officer at BBC Children in Need says:
“We are truly delighted to have supported this wonderful renovation through our long‑standing partnership with DFS. The care, creativity and commitment shown by the DFS team throughout this project has been inspiring, and the transformation they’ve delivered will make a meaningful difference to families for years to come.
“Seashell’s outstanding work with children and young people with complex needs is exceptional, and we are incredibly proud to champion and fund such a dedicated organisation.”
Hannah Baines, Seashell’s Corporate Partnerships Manager, said:
“Working with BBC Children in Need and DFS has been a dream. We can’t thank them enough.
“The new family home means parents and carers can spend quality time together with the child or young adult living in our residential village. A lot of our families live hundreds of miles away and have to travel to see their young person. So being able to stay somewhere comfortable and close by is vital. They can also stay here when their young person first transitions into Seashell care, making those early days of settling in much smoother and less stressful for everyone.
“Our former family flat was no longer fit for purpose as it is smaller and located in a dated building. This new facility is brighter, more cheerful with more space for families to feel at home. We really look forward to having the finished house available to our families.”
