A novel idea – Solihull care home residents read bedtime stories to local children

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

Solihull may seem a little quieter than usual after residents from Care UK’s Blossomfield Grange, on Worcester Way, welcomed children from the Mad Hatters Nursery into the home for a retelling of the famous fairy tale, The Gingerbread Man.

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 Blossomfield Grange, resident Stanley Fisher, aged 98, read The Gingerbread Man after teachers at Mad Hatters Nursery let the Blossomfield Grange team know this was the story they’ve been reading in class. 

The children particularly enjoyed the tale’s famous line: “Run, run, as fast as you can, you can’t catch me – I’m the gingerbread man!”, which everyone enjoyed reading out loud together. 

Commenting on the afternoon, Stanley said: “It was so lovely to be able to the children today and to share this story with them.  It was wonderful to hear how they have learnt some of the words to the story so quickly”

Jo Hopkins, Director of Community Relations at Blossomfield Grange, said: “We’ve had a wonderful week of storytelling here at Blossomfield Grange. 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 – so it was great to welcome Mad Hatters Nursery children to Blossomfield Grange. 

“We all remember stories told to us as children, often before bedtime, and find comfort in adulthood in these nostalgic memories. We’re thrilled Care UK has launched the bedtime stories initiative – it’s wonderful to have children benefiting from residents reading them stories both in our home and right across the UK with the fantastic videos.

“Intergenerational relationships and initiatives, just like this one, can be incredibly beneficial to both younger and older people alike and can provide residents with a sense of wellbeing and purpose. 

“It has been heart-warming to see the residents share stories from their own childhood and read a telling of The Gingerbread Man, with the children. We look forward to welcoming the children back to Blossomfield Grange 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 

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, 

Blossomfield Grange incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The home has been configured into a series of neighbourhoods to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.

To find out more about Blossomfield Grange, contact Director of Community Relations at Blossomfield Grange, Jo Hopkins, on 0121 392 7833 or email Jo.Hopkins@careuk.com.

For more general information, please visit careuk.com/blossomfield-grange.