To celebrate World Book Day, children from Back to the Garden Childcare, located on Statham Avenue, visited residents at neighbouring Statham Manor Care Centre, for an inter-generational afternoon of fun and storytelling.
Dressed as characters from their favourite books, including Supergirl, the Gruffalo and Mog the Cat, the group of eight children were accompanied by the nursery manager and practitioners, also dressed up, bringing with them a selection of books to read with the residents.
Statham Manor resident Sylvia Griffiths reading to children from Back to the Garden Childcare.
Statham Manor residents gathered in the lounge to greet the three and four year olds and together, young and old spent the afternoon reading, proving that age is no object when it comes to a love for books.
The afternoon was great fun for all; with residents from Statham Manor enthralling the children with readings from their favourite books and sharing memories of their childhood. The pre-school children loved showing off their costumes and delighted the residents with their tales from nursery.
Farai Hanyane, registered manager at Statham Manor, says: “Over the course of the last two months, since the care home opened, we have welcomed several residents, so it was lovely to host a fun afternoon for them with the children from Back to the Garden Childcare.
“With the nursery situated next door to Statham Manor, the World Book Day visit will be the first of many inter-generational events hosted at the home, which we know have an incredibly positive impact on the residents and their wellbeing.
“You are never too old to enjoy a good story and seeing the residents read with the children was lovely; they loved learning about the little ones’ favourite characters and were thrilled to share stories and memories from their childhood.”
Statham Manor manager Farai Hanyane with resident Bill Hall, 92, and children from Back to the Garden Childcare.
Statham Manor resident, Bill Hall, aged 82, adds: “I have always loved books and still enjoy reading, so it was a real joy to see the children today dressed up as characters from their favourite books and share stories with them.”
Alison O’Connor-Limb, nursery manager at Back to the Garden, concludes: “It is so important that children respect and understand the elderly people in our community. The best way to teach this is for the young and old to have contact, and enjoy time in each other’s company. World Book Day was a great example of this.
“Our pre-school children were so excited to dress up and visit residents in the care home, bringing with them lots of books to read together. Storytelling is so important and we have daily sit down storytelling sessions at the nursery, where often parents and grandparents join us, which the children love. Without doubt, reading with the residents at Statham Manor was a great experience for the pre-school children – it was a wonderful opportunity for them to use their imagination and be creative.”
Back to the Garden Childcare, with nurseries in Lymm and Altrincham, is an innovative child-led day nursery that focuses on active learning through outdoor play in a stunning garden setting. Its philosophy of allowing children to be children to explore their environment, experiment with the outdoor playscape and harness their own imaginations allows for a natural approach where each child develops at their own pace.
For further information, to book an appointment to view the new nursery, or for recruitment opportunities, please call Back to the Garden Childcare on 0161 388 2424 or visit www.backtothegardenchildcare.com.
New Care is one of the UK’s leading care home providers. Its portfolio of purpose-built ‘new generation’ care centres is fast gaining an enviable reputation for outstanding care that is second to none. Statham Manor is New Care’s latest care facility to open, offering individual, person-centred residential, dementia and 24 hour nursing care services.
For further information or to book an appointment to view the new care home, please call the team at Statham Manor on 01925 596000, email [email protected] or visit www.newcarehomes.com.
