Bees and honey: Winnie the Pooh Day brings generations together at a care home in Wiltshire

 Residents at a Wiltshire care home teamed up with local schoolchildren to celebrate one of Britain’s most iconic bears.

It was a truly ‘bear-illiant’ morning at Care UK’s Salisbury Manor on Shapland Close, as residents welcomed children from Chafyn Grove Independent School to mark Winnie the Pooh Day for a special storytelling session. 

The residents, who had been practising their best character voices, sat alongside the children to read Winnie the Pooh tales, supported by storyteller, Frances Owen. The morning also featured Pooh-themed colouring activities to encourage conversation and creativity, while the children delighted residents with a performance of Bees and Honey.

Venetia Coupe, daughter of a resident and beekeeper, also led a honey-tasting session featuring honey sandwich, as a nod to Winnie the Pooh’s favourite treat.

Tracey Pearce, Home Manager at Salisbury Manor, said: “We’ve had a wonderful time sharing stories and poems from Winnie the Pooh here at Salisbury Manor. Seeing the children enjoy performing and the residents sharing their favourite Pooh stories was truly heart-warming.

“Intergenerational activities are a big part of life at the home. They can be incredibly beneficial to both younger and older people alike, and can help provide residents with a stronger sense of wellbeing and purpose. A lot of residents also have fond memories of reading Winnie the Pooh stories growing up, and sharing them with their own children, so the activity was a great opportunity for them to reminisce. 

“We’d like to thank Chafyn Grove Independent School for visiting us to celebrate Winnie the Pooh Day.”

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Salisbury Manor incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The home provides full-time residential care, nursing care, dementia care and respite care. The layout of the building is configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge/dining room to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.