At Wiltshire’s residential, nursing and residential memory care home,
Market Lavington, Residents have been sharing some wise words of wisdom, from one generation to another.
Local junior school, St Barnabas, with which Market Lavington care home has built up a wonderful relationship with over the last few months, contacted Wellbeing Coordinator, Riaz Ali, with a request.
The school asked if it be possible for some Residents to write some advice for the Year 6 pupils, as they embark on the next part of their school journey. The suggestion was that they could write down some simple advice for the future on a piece of paper and take a photo with it to share with the school community.
Liz Orr, a teacher at the school, said, “We’d love to give our leavers some words of wisdom and advice to take with them as they head off to secondary school and the rest of their lives.”
The children of St Barnabas have become important to the Residents, who regularly chat with them, and they will be sad at them leaving the school, but they all feel so positive for their potential and their future lives!
So Riaz and Residents got to it and everyone thought this was an absolutely wonderful idea. Riaz said, “We did the task and I sent these to Liz who responded ‘You have just made us cry’ as her and her Colleagues were so touched by this.”
The Residents, including those pictured Angela Wakely, Margaret Tomalin, June Clack, Sonja Parfitt and Margaret Gutherson, as well as Home Manager Natasha Howard and Riaz himself, are looking forward to the next scheduled video chats with the children next week to hear their responses to the photographs.
Everyone involved felt privileged and honoured by this request from the school, and enjoyed sharing the lessons they have learned from their life with a younger generation.
Margaret Gutherson, who lives at the home, remarked, “I hope they all do well, I am sure they will!”
Fellow Resident, June Clack, added, “I will miss them but hope they can visit in the future.”
Sonja Parfitt said, “They were all delightful, and it can be daunting moving to secondary school, but I think they will be fine.”
Finally, Angela Wakely added, “They are all such good children,”
Riaz reflected on the activity, “I feel this could be an ongoing project! There is so much that each generation can share with other generations and it is magical in a way, to see how human beings of vastly different ages can get on and relate with each other. The children have certainly brightened up the lives of my Residents over the last several months!”