Generations unite at Wantage care home to build insect hotel

A care home in Wantage welcomed a group of young carers for an afternoon of creativity and connection as they teamed up to create handmade bug boxes.

Residents at Care UK’s Charlton Lodge, on the new Kingsgrove development, were joined by members aged between 11 and 18 of Nacho’s Young Carers, a weekly support group run by Sweatbox Youth Centre. 

They spent the afternoon chatting and creating insect-friendly habitats for the garden with Julian Parfitt from community action group Wild Wantage. The session aimed to provide meaningful, intergenerational experiences to benefit both residents and local young people, with the bonus of giving insects and pollinators a safe space to thrive.

This workshop was funded by a £250 grant given to Sweatbox by Wantage Town Council, as part of The Great Big Green Week – the UK’s biggest celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. The activity formed part of Charlton Lodge’s ongoing commitment to building community links across generations.

Councillor Dr Chris Walters, Deputy Mayor of Wantage, said: “Wantage Town Council is very pleased to support local groups celebrating The Great Big Green Week. Collaborations such as this one between Charlton Lodge and Sweatbox, which bridge the generations, are particularly valuable.”

Jacqueline Jackson, 84-year-old resident at Charlton Lodge, said: “I had such a lovely day, the children were so polite and friendly, and I enjoyed talking to them and making the bug boxes.”

The project was part of Generations of Change, an initiative launched by Care UK with the aim of uniting older and younger people in a shared mission of environmental stewardship.

The new 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.

Aligned with school curriculums, this will be the first of many Generations of Change projects at Charlton Lodge which will bring 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 facilitate intergenerational lessons, with the educational packs covering topics from biodiversity to food sustainability, climate change to recycling.

Carla Kell, Home Manager at Charlton Lodge, said: “We were thrilled to see both the children and residents so engaged in the building of the bug boxes. The joy on their faces as they worked together to learn about the importance of biodiversity and the impact it has on our planet was fantastic to see. 

“The Generations of Change initiative creates a wonderful opportunity for residents and children to learn from one another, fostering meaningful connections in a truly rewarding way. Witnessing this initiative come to life has been incredible. Everyone had a great time, and I’d like to say a big thank-you to Nacho’s Young Carers and Wantage Town Council for being part of our mission.”

Charlton Lodge is a state-of the-art care home providing full-time residential 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, hair and beauty salon and café, along with plenty of space – both indoors and out – for relaxation and recreation.

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