Local children join Fleet care home for a journey into Christmas past

Old festive traditions came to life at a care home in Fleet, where residents welcomed local community children for a day of seasonal activities. 

Care UK’s Bourley Grange, on Bourley Road in Church Crookham, joined forces with young visitors from the local community to revisit customs from Christmas past.

The event was part of Care UK’s ‘Step into Christmas’ initiative, which aims to revive residents’ festive traditions, encouraging them to share memories with the younger generation. 

By blending storytelling, crafts and carol singing, the events create a space for meaningful intergenerational connection. 

On the day, Bourley Grange residents were joined by local children, who visited the home dressed in their cosiest Christmas pyjamas for some festive fun reminiscent of Christmases gone by. Together, the two generations decorated the home ready for the festive season, with the home’s Head Chef hosting a gingerbread baking session which followed an original recipe written by one of the residents’ mothers. 

After everyone had their fill of home-baked Christmas treats, residents and their guests gathered in the newly-decorated lounge, before the older generation shared festive stories from their own childhoods. 

Maeve, 94, a resident at Bourley Grage, said: “I had a jolly good time – being with children is an absolute joy, and seeing all the little ones in their pyjamas was just adorable. Making gingerbread cookies using my mother’s special recipe brought back so many childhood memories of baking together as a family, and later on with my own children and grandchildren. Celebrating these Christmas traditions is so important because it keeps those precious memories alive and allows them to be shared with the next generation!

Racquel Merdegia, Home Manager at Bourley Grange, said: “Christmas is such a special time of year, and this event allowed us to honour those memories from residents’ childhoods of baking their own Christmas treats and decorating their homes with their families.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to bring different generations together for a day of festive cheer. It was truly heartwarming to watch residents reminisce and share stories from Christmases gone by. 

“We’d like to extend a huge thank you to the local children for joining us and making the day so joyous for all involved! Their presence brought an extra sparkle to the day.”

For more information about Step into Christmas, visit https://www.careuk.com/Step-into-Christmas. 

Bourley Grange provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. The home has been designed to deliver the very best standards and to enable residents to lead active and fulfilled lives in a luxury environment.