Care home residents join in with worldwide promotion of good literacy

A Barton on Sea care home marked International Literacy Day this weekend, looking to highlight the importance of literacy throughout all age groups and sections of society.

Bethel House carers treated their residents to a day of literary-themed activities, carried out in a manner that suited all abilities and personal tastes.

Starting with a quiz over morning coffee, participants then moved on to word games, poetry recitals and even a creative writing workshop. Activities organiser Hilary Radwanski was delighted with how residents embraced and enjoyed the challenges of the day.

She comments: “It was a lovely day which we all enjoyed. The activities were quite varied so there really was something for everyone and there was a great deal of enthusiasm for the different sessions from residents throughout the day. We haven’t celebrated this particular day at Bethel House before but it was so enjoyable I will certainly ensure it’s in the diary again for next year!”

International Literacy Day has been promoted worldwide, with UNESCO (the United Nations Organisation for Education, Science and Culture) recognising that literacy skills are essential for shaping each country’s culture, history and language.

Director-general Irina Bokova sees literacy as playing a crucial role in empowering generations, saying: “Literacy is much more than an educational priority – it is the ultimate investment in the future and the first step towards all the new forms of literacy required in the twenty-first century. We wish to see a century where every child is able to read and to use this skill to gain autonomy.”