Colchester care home residents and school pupils unite for intergenerational environmental initiative

A care home in Colchester recently participated in a newly launched environmental initiative, bringing together local primary school children and residents for a day of activities to benefit the planet.

Care UK’s Silversprings, on Tenpenny Hill, recently invited pupils from Brightlingsea Primary School and Nursery to join residents as they took part in Generations of Change, an intergenerational initiative that has been launched in line with Global Recycling Day to unite older and younger people in a shared mission of environmental stewardship.  

The new Care UK Generations of Change programme aims to harness the wisdom of older members of society and the fresh perspectives of children during hands-on activities linked to biodiversity, climate change and sustainable gardening, creating opportunities for a fulfilling knowledge exchange that will benefit the planet.   

To do their bit, Silversprings residents worked with the youngsters for a spot of litter picking in the local area. The day began with a joint effort to help tidy up Brightlingsea sea front, where residents and school children collected rubbish and recycling, showing their care for the environment and the community. Afterwards, the children and residents sat and chatted whilst they had a well-earned ice cream.

83-year-old resident Maureen Jewess, said, “It was very interesting seeing the children so engaged in the community and the activity at hand. It was nice to engage and have a conversation with them, they were very aware of the environment and the issues and really cared about it. We enjoyed our ice creams after the hard work.”

Aligned with school curriculums, this will be the first of many Generations of Change projects at Silversprings, bringing a unique bidirectional learning model into the home that allows residents to mentor children on traditional conservation practices while young people share modern perspectives on sustainable living during their shared environmental projects.

Beyond environmental education, this initiative aims to combat loneliness in older people by fostering meaningful connections that promote a sense of purpose, enriching the lives of both generations as they work together towards a more sustainable future. 

Care UK has also created downloadable packs with resources for teachers and groups, including fun, interactive activities to help facilitate intergenerational lessons, with the educational packs covering topics from biodiversity to food sustainability, climate change and recycling. 

Joanne Rix, Home Manager at Silversprings, said: “It was fantastic to see both the children and residents so engaged in the clean-up project, with pure joy on their faces as they worked together to make a positive impact on the environment.

“The Generations of Change initiative creates a wonderful opportunity for residents and children to learn from each other, fostering meaningful connections in a truly rewarding way. Seeing this initiative come to life has been incredible. We loved welcoming the younger generation, and of course, everyone had a great time! A big thank you goes to Brightlingsea Primary School and Nursery for joining us in our mission.”

For more information about Care UK’s Generations of Change, including a series of downloadable lesson plans for schools to help children understand important sustainability topics, visit  careuk.com/generations-of-change

In 2024, Care UK secured official accreditation for the high standards it used to measure corporate greenhouse gas emissions, an important milestone in its journey of reducing carbon emissions and achieving net zero by 2040. Care UK continues to work towards having at least one Sustainability Champion in each of their 160+ homes and Generations of Change complements the organisation’s ESG values and dedication to sustainability, community and intergenerational relationships. 

More than 99% of Care UK’s general waste was diverted from landfill last year, alongside the reduction of unnecessary pharmaceutical waste, and investments continue to be made in home upgrades such as environmentally friendly LED lighting and salary sacrifice schemes to encourage team members to cycle or switch to electric vehicles. 

Silversprings is a state-of-the-art care home, designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The home offers a range of services, including residential, nursing, dementia and respite care, and has its very own café and hair salon.