What started as a six-week experiment has become a heart-warming legacy of transformation at ExtraCare Trust’s Hughenden Gardens Retirement Village in High Wycombe. By Charlotte Millions.
The BBC documentary Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks, which aired across March and April, has left a lasting impact not just on the 1.1 million viewers who tuned into the first episode, but on the lives of the residents who took part—and the future of the community itself.
The two-part series followed actress and Strictly winner Rose Ayling-Ellis and BSL instructor Marios Costi as they introduced a group of older residents aged between 65 and 95 to British Sign Language (BSL). Their mission? To build a more inclusive community and prove that you’re never too old to learn something new.
The documentary became more than just one about language with those taking part finding connection, combating loneliness, and rediscovering purpose in later life. As the episodes unfolded, viewers watched residents take part in a deaf rave, welcome children from a local deaf school, and sign their own graduation speeches to friends and family. Audiences witnessed deeply personal stories of courage, vulnerability, and resilience. The emotional resonance of the project being felt across the country.
“So many beautiful, important stories being told on this programme,” wrote one viewer. “If the elderly are nurtured, look how they can thrive. In Sue’s words, they’re ‘recycled teenagers’ and can achieve so much.”
Critics echoed the sentiment. The Guardian praised it as “funny, beautiful TV that leaves a lump in the throat,” applauding the way it tackled themes of isolation, dignity, and learning later in life. The Times highlighted Ayling-Ellis’s efforts to spotlight the glaring lack of BSL support in retirement settings, calling the show both original and socially vital.
One resident Heather Green who took part in the documentary passed away before the show aired, with medical interventions she wasn’t able to communicate using her voice, but she used her newfound skills to sign to her family in her final days. Her legacy proving a truly personal one.
Back at Hughenden Gardens Village, the ripple effect of the project continues to spread with staff learning BSL as part of the project alongside residents. The ExtraCare Charitable Trust, the charity that operates the village, is now looking to the future with a renewed sense of purpose. Those who participated in the documentary are being funded to complete their BSL Level 1 qualification—ensuring their newfound skills don’t fade but flourish.
One village resident, Mark Jeffery, has taken his learning even further. Now teaching weekly BSL classes to newcomers at the village, he’s also exploring opportunities to visit ExtraCare’s 18 other locations, hoping to inspire a wider take-up of sign language across the country.
The vision doesn’t stop there, plans are underway to transform Hughenden Gardens into a Deaf Hub—a community beacon offering deaf residents and visitors a safe, inclusive space. Working closely with the Royal Association for Deaf people (RAD), the village is striving to become a flagship model for accessibility, inclusion, and innovation in retirement living.
This project will include training, possible physical adaptations to the environment, and meaningful partnerships with Deaf organisations to ensure a legacy of long-term change.
“It’s changed this community forever. It has 100% changed this community,” said Village Manager Belinda Barlow. “It’s been absolutely incredible.”
And what did the project mean for Rose? “The residents taught me what truly matters in life. It’s not about who has the biggest achievements or changes the world; it’s really about who is around you, caring for each other, and never stopping your willingness to learn, regardless of your age.
“I hope that all care homes and retirement villages across the UK learn BSL: it helps everyone plus it gives more choice for deaf BSL users.”
There is also an excellent interview to read here, with Rose talking about her experience at Hughenden.
