Quorn care home residents take local children through the looking glass

Residents at a care home in Quorn have performed their very own adaptation of Alice in Wonderland for local children.

Team members and residents at Care UK’s Lonsdale Mews, on Farley Way, pulled out all the stops to create a truly immersive storytelling experience for youngsters from a local childminding group and team member’s children.

 

After weekly rehearsals at the home, the performance took place in a special setting, which had been created by the lifestyle team and volunteer, Jayne, with residents’ input. The hand-made backdrop and props included playing cards, trees and roses to help tell the story. 

Team members and residents were also decked out for the special occasion and donned vibrant costumes to help get them into character – with singing flowers, a Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts and the Cheshire Cat all making an appearance.

After a spectacular performance, which saw Alice fall down the rabbit role, and plenty of singing as she met all the memorable characters along the way, children and residents rounded off the afternoon by tucking into jam tarts and bubble tea.

At Lonsdale Mews, 93-year-old resident and retired-primary schoolteacher, Joan, narrated the classic tale to the children as they gathered around in the home’s very own Wonderland. Joan said: “I really enjoyed playing the role of narrator – it was such good fun. I’ve always been a natural at teaching and so it was rewarding to bring the story alive with the young children in the audience.”

 

Toby Sturgess, Home Manager at Lonsdale Mews, said: “We’ve had a wonderful week of storytelling here at Lonsdale Mews. Whether it’s Peter Pan flying us to Neverland or Alice taking us down the rabbit hole, children’s literature is often the first key to unlocking our imaginations and nurturing a lifelong love of reading. It was great to welcome the children to Lonsdale Mews for a wonderful performance and to hear all about the adventures of Alice. 

“We all remember stories told to us as children, often before bedtime, and find comfort in adulthood in these nostalgic memories. It was fantastic to have children benefiting from residents reading them stories.

“It was wonderful to recreate Alice in Wonderland with a performance in our very special setting. We look forward to welcoming the children back to Lonsdale Mews very soon.”

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. 

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

Lonsdale Mews offers full-time residential and dementia care, as well as short-term respite. The home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities and includes its own cinema, hairdressing salon and café. The layout of the building is configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge/dining room to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.

To find out more about Lonsdale Mews, please call Customer Relations Manager, Jenny Cartwright, on 01509 801 587, email jenny.cartwright@careuk.com or visit careuk.com/lonsdale-mews