From trash to treasure

They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!

Since moving into St Andrew’s Village in Cambridge in 2023, Terry Ouwejan has been keeping an eye out for discarded building materials with the intention of transforming them into some clever little sculptures.

“I was inspired by some wooden decorations that were up in town late last year. I thought, I could definitely make those,” said Terry. So, he got to work.

Sourcing unwanted scrap material from the onsite builders, Terry uses leftover ply to produce Christmas tree decorations.

His wooden creations are then sent up to the village’s care home for residents to decorate.

St Andrew’s Diversional Therapist, Sue Burton-Smith, says the activity brings more than just a smile to the care residents faces.

“It’s the perfect way to involve everyone! The residents love painting and decorating the trees with a bit of glitter, so it’s always lots of fun”, says Sue.