Southampton care home residents team up with youngsters for writing scheme

 

Care home residents in Southampton are set to pen their wisdom and advice to schoolchildren as part of a unique intergenerational initiative. 

Care UK’s Ancasta Grove, on Barnes Lane, is launching a new ‘pen pal’ scheme with pupils from Sarisbury Infant School. The project involves the youngsters each teaming up with a care home resident to write letters sharing their life experiences, helping the different generations to explore each other’s personalities and learn from one another.

As part of the initiative, children have been making bi-weekly visits to the home to build relationships with the residents – with a view to later becoming pen pals.

The Mayor of Fareham, Councillor Pal Hayre, paid a special visit to the home to give her official blessing for the exciting new scheme, which is hoped to help children develop their writing skills throughout the summer holidays.

Marilyn Mollart-Rogerson, aged 84, said she is delighted to be become a pen pal. 

She said: “I am excited to write letters to the schoolchildren and it is important for them to learn the art of writing a letter. They are growing up in a very different world and this skill will easily be forgotten.”

Joel Ignacio, Home Manager at Ancasta Grove, added: “Writing is an enjoyable pastime and can be beneficial in many ways, particularly for older people – helping to maintain memory function and offering a sense of purpose. 

“This exciting new scheme with Sarisbury Infant School will give both generations a chance to express themselves and inspire one another. It will be wonderful to see it unfolding and I hope the letters will bring many moments of joy to both the residents and children over the coming months.”

Ancasta Grove has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The home provides residential, nursing and specialist dementia care, as well as respite and end of life care, and is proud to be able to offer a ‘home for life’ if an individual’s needs change over time.