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

Residents at a care home in Leamington Spa have been reading classic bedtime stories to local youngsters as part of a nationwide initiative to celebrate National Storytelling Week. 

Leamington Spa may seem a little quieter than usual after residents from Care UK’s Priors House, on Old Milverton Lane, welcomed residents’ grandchildren into the home for a special reading session. 

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 Priors House, 74-year-old resident, Josephine Murphy, read popular stories to the children. Josephine said: “I loved being able to read stories and spend time with the children. Reading stories was a fond memory from my childhood, so being able to gift the joy and the memory of story-reading to the children of today was a heart-warming experience".

Francine Summers, Home Manager at Priors House, said: “We see many of the residents’ grandchildren when they visit their loved ones, so these reading sessions were a wonderful way to spend time with familiar faces.

“Reading stories aloud to a small audience of listeners required the residents to use skills they might not have utilised for some time. By using a variety of voices and different sounds they really brought the characters to life and were able to hold the attention of the children. Not only was the session heart-warming, but it was fantastic for boosting the residents’ confidence. 

“It was wonderful to spend quality time with the younger generation of visitors who come to the home on a regular basis and we know we will be seeing them again soon 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

Priors House is a state-of-the-art care home which provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable residents to live enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the home has its very own cinema and hair salon, and there is plenty of space – both indoors and out – for relaxation and recreation. 

To find out more about Priors House, please contact Customer Relations Manager, Maria Cridge, on 01926 675 217 or email maria.cridge@careuk.com

For more general information, visit careuk.com/priors-house