Local school children join Wantage care home for a journey into Christmas past

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

Care UK’s Charlton Lodge, on Buttercup Road, joined forces with young visitors from Wantage Primary Academy to revisit customs from Christmas past.

The event is part of Care UK’s ‘Step into Christmas’ initiative, which aims to rekindle festive customs that residents remember from their childhood by reliving them and sharing them with the younger generation.

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

On the day, Charlton Lodge residents were joined by local school children for an afternoon of creating handmade Christmas cards.

Resident Annie Hatton, 77, said: “We had such fun with the children making Christmas cards for their families. We used to make cards when we were at school, so it’s lovely to see old traditions being continued in modern times.”

Carla Kell, Home Manager at Charlton Lodge, said: “Christmas is such a special time of year, and this event allowed us to honour those memories from residents’ childhoods of making Christmas cards.

“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 Wantage Primary Academy for joining us and making the day so joyous for all involved! Their presence brought an extra sparkle to the day.”

For further information on Step into Christmas, visit careuk.com/Step-into-Christmas.

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 lead enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the home has its very own cinema, hair and beauty salon and pub, along with plenty of space – both indoors and out – for relaxation and recreation.