Unravelling the past – Sidcup care home residents revisit favourite hobbies

Residents at a care home in Sidcup have been revisiting their favourite hobbies and shared their skills with the younger generation. 

Residents at Care UK’s Smyth Lodge, on Frognal Avenue, have been stepping back in time to enjoy knitting and sewing as part of a nationwide initiative – Long Lost Hobbies. 

The ‘Long Lost Hobbies’ initiative sees residents in Care UK homes across the country share their favourite hobbies and try new pastimes with younger generations after a national survey found 77% of adults feel technology is the cause of traditional skills being lost, including flower arranging, knitting and woodworking.

To ensure the hobbies of older generations are not forgotten, residents at Smyth Lodge have been getting to the knitty-gritty and unwinding what makes their favourite pastime so enjoyable. With many residents expressing their passion for sewing and knitting, the team at Smyth Lodge put their skills to the test to create cross-stitched patchworks to show their grandchildren. 

Tracey Cheeseman, Home Manager at Smyth Lodge, said: “We had a great time taking part in Long Lost Hobbies – the initiative gave us a wonderful opportunity to put our creativity to the test by learning more about knitting and sewing. 

“Hobbies can take many forms, from flower arranging to painting and knitting. On top of physical benefits, from increased motor skills to improved coordination, hobbies can also offer the added benefit of providing a fantastic opportunity for social connection – by bringing together groups of people around one common activity.

“We all look forward to learning more about the wonderful hobbies the residents have enjoyed throughout their lives and creating imaginative activities that build on their talents and skills.”

For top tips on how you and your loved ones can revisit forgotten pastimes, please visit: careuk.com/long-lost-hobbies.

Smyth Lodge has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The state-of-the-art care home, which opened in 2019, provides full-time residential, nursing and specialist dementia care, and features a cinema, hair salon and activities room.

For more information about Smyth Lodge, please call Customer Relations Manager, Francois Erwee, on 0333 3053 474 or email francois.erwee@careuk.com or visit careuk.com/smyth-lodge.