A story that’s plot on – Cheltenham care home residents read bedtime stories to local children

Residents at a care home in Cheltenham have been reading well-known bedtime stories to local nursery children as part of a nationwide initiative to celebrate National Storytelling Week. 

Cheltenham may seem a little quieter than usual after residents from Care UK’s Sandfields, on St George’s Road, welcomed children from Little Pips Nursery into the home’s lounge for a retelling of The Three Little Pigs.

To celebrate National Storytelling Week, Care UK has created the Bedtime Stories initiative which sees residents across the UK read classic bedtime stories to young children. The campaign, which includes the launch of four free videos of residents reading famous stories, ensures children who may not have a grandparent do not miss out on a magical tale before bedtime.

At Sandfields, 87-year-old resident, Barbara Naylor, read the classic tale to the children as they listened eagerly. Barbara said: “I loved reading to the children – I think it’s really important children can let their imaginations run with stories and it reminded me of when I used to read to my own children when they were younger.”

Malaika Browne, Home Manager at Sandfields, said: “It is hugely important to us to play an active role in the community, so we were delighted to welcome the children from Little Pips Nursery into the home. 

“Books have the ability to transport people to completely different and often magical places, so it was wonderful for the residents to be able to take the children on this journey. Nurturing a love of reading from an early age is so important in developing a child’s imagination and communication skills, while also helping to improve concentration and reduce stress in older ages. 

“We would like to thank Little Pips Nursery for visiting us and can’t wait to host another story session very soon!”

To watch four Bedtime Stories read by Care UK residents, or for more information about the Bedtime Stories initiative, visit: careuk.com/bedtime-stories

Sandfields is a state-of-the-art care home which provides full-time residential, nursing, dementia and short-term respite care. The care home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities and includes its own cinema, hair salon and café.

For more information on Sandfields, please call Customer Relations Manager, Virginia Peachey, on 01242 801867 or email virginia.peachey@careuk.com

For more general information, please go to careuk.com/sandfields