Care home partners with school for pen pal scheme

Wheatlands Care Home in Much Wenlock have teamed up with Brockton Primary School for a newly launched pen pal scheme, connecting residents within their homes with creative writing pupils.

Residents of Wheatlands, which is run by Barchester Healthcare, have been sharing their stories of the past with students, and making new friends in the inter-generational scheme.

Letter writing, which is part of the school’s creative writing curriculum, has covered topics such as holidays and places to visit, as well as cautionary tales from both the students and the residents of Wheatlands.

Residents were able to share their interesting tales of the past, as well as the present. Residents and pupils made baubles for 2021 with New Year resolutions, hopes and dreams.

Claire Brewer, General Manager of Wheatlands, said: “Residents have really enjoyed sharing their stories with the young pupils; so many have incredible tales and they love hearing the adventures of the students.

"The initiative has been so successful that we’ve even received emails from other schools across the country, and as far as Australia and Switzerland, asking how they could set up their own pen-pal projects! The residents at our home have wonderful stories, they’ve really enjoyed telling their tales with the young ones.”

Wheatlands care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals. Wheatlands provides residential care, dementia care and respite.

For more information please contact Claire Brewer, General Manager at Wheatlands Care Home on 01952 728497 or claire.brewer@barchester.com

Note to editors

About Barchester Healthcare:

Barchester Healthcare is one of the UK’s largest care providers supporting older people living independent lives with dignity and respect. Providing a wide range of services for a variety of needs, Barchester Healthcare support 11,000 residents across 200 homes for short breaks to long term stays. A leading care provider over the last 25 years, Barchester services include residential care and nursing care tailored to suit you. Barchester also provide expert dementia care. Many Barchester homes feature a Memory Lane Community, which is a dedicated part of the home designed to support residents who are living with various stages of Alzheimer’s or dementia stay as independent and active as possible. We also have specialist hospitals for patients who require services such as neuro rehabilitation, as well as specialist care for those with Parkinson’s or Huntington’s disease. Our teams of highly-qualified and attentive staff are passionate about independence, dignity and choice for all residents within their care. Our well-trained care staff focus on the individual needs of each resident, developing a bespoke care plan for each and every person. We employ motivated, attentive staff, who are committed to excellent care and customer service. At Barchester, we celebrate life and make sure the people we support do too. We do this by treating everyone as individuals, and always tailoring our services and support to meet their needs, which vary person to person. To find out more about Barchester or to find your closest care home, please visit our website www.Barchester.com.

click here for more details or to contact Barchester Wheatlands Care Home