Lifeways transforms Tanglewood Mews service with huge £280k refurbishment

A supported living service in County Durham has been completely transformed following a £280,000 refurbishment by Lifeways. 

The project began in late August 2025 and involved a full refurbishment of all four houses at Tanglewood Mews. Work has now been completed in early 2026, creating brighter, more accessible surroundings for the people supported and staff. 

The refurbishment was carried out in phases, with one house completed at a time to minimise disruption and allow each household to continue daily life with as little impact as possible. 

This significant investment has revamped communal areas and key functional spaces right across the site. Improvements include:  

• Four new fully fitted kitchens, including a dropped bench in the Maple Grove kitchen to support wheelchair users to take part in cooking and meal preparation.  

• Four new laundry areas that are modern, practical, and designed to support both independence and daily living routines.  

• New lighting across all communal areas creating brighter, more welcoming shared spaces.  

• New flooring in communal areas improving accessibility, comfort, and overall appearance.  

• Full redecoration of communal areas to bring a homely, uplifting feel.  

• New communal furniture where needed.  

The Lifeways property team delivered this work in collaboration with their contractors. Andrea Ellison, Head of Property said: “This project was fantastic, our contractors fed back that it was a pleasure working at Tanglewood alongside the team.”  

Angelea Hutchison, Registered Manager at Tanglewood Mews, said the refurbishment was something she’d been asking for since joining the service in August 2023.  

Describing the work that was needed and the impact of the project, she commented: “The kitchens were very tired, dated and well used. Staff tried to take pride in their workplace by painting the cupboards, but there is only so much can be done with paint.   

“Since the refurb staff morale has been boosted and the people we support love their new environments.  
  
“I’m extremely proud of Tanglewood Mews and delighted with the refurbishment. Staff and the people who live here took the disruption in their stride. We now have beautiful environments to live and work in - it’s made such a difference.”  

While the supported living houses have now been fully updated, the team is hopeful that the residential house, Olive Grove, will also receive refurbishment in the future so the entire site can enjoy a full transformation.