Care home and college team up to bring generations together in Wootton

An inter-generational project is building relationships between Kimberley College and the residents of bpha’s Wootton Vale independent living scheme.

The initiative aims to combat loneliness, share skills, create friendships, and bring the community closer together.

bpha community engagement officer, Fsella Afzal, has worked with staff at Kimberley College in Stewartby to develop term-time weekly sessions for Year 12 students and residents from Wootton Vale. The group plays games, chats, enjoys refreshments together – and there’s some practical information sharing too.

Fsella explains: “It was wonderful listening to residents share knowledge and stories with the college students. One resident who wanted to shop online was particularly keen to learn how to do this on her iPad from one of the students. Digital up-skilling will benefit the majority of the residents and enable the college students to grow in confidence as they teach them.

“It was particularly heart-warming when one of the residents approached me to say that a co-resident – aged 93, wheelchair-bound and partially deaf, who does not engage with any of the residents even at mealtimes – was happily playing dominoes with one of the students. Her words: ‘It’s marvellous to see this – it’s really made my day!’.”

One of the students, Ruby, said: “I’m feeling nervous but excited about this experience. I’m interested to learn new things about new people.”

Resident Dorothy added: “Ruby, Issie and Hollie are three delightful young ladies who we were very pleased to be seated with. It was a very nice afternoon.”

Nicola Genders, assistant principal and KS5 pastoral leader at Kimberley College, said: “We are really excited about this multi-generational project. Finding ways to engage with our local community is important to Kimberley College - it was very heart-warming to see our students interacting with the residents, talking about their experiences, learning from each other and playing games together.”

For more information about Wootton Vale and bpha’s other Independent Living schemes, visit the website. If you are interested in working with bhpa to promote the work of your organisation and help support its residents, contact the community engagement team at [email protected].