HenPower participants pen festive hit in celebration of another successful year of reducing loneliness

People participating in an innovative hen keeping project designed to tackle loneliness in older people have lent their voices and talents to an original Christmas song.

Older people’s charity Equal Arts have teamed up some of the artists that lead their creative sessions in care settings to produce the Christmas video.

The song is titled: Dress Me Up for Christmas, and features ‘hensioners’ from the sheltered housing facility, Wood Green, and other residents living in care settings in Gateshead, as well as pupils from two ‘HenPowered’ primary schools. The song was written by Nicky Rushton and filmed by Reuben Jacob Abraham.

Douglas Hunter, co-director of Equal Arts based in Gateshead, said: “Our Christmas song brings together the best of what we do, building relationships between older people and their communities through creativity. It is our small way of saying thank you to everyone for their support during 2015.

“It has been a hugely positive year for us as we see the benefits of creativity on ageing becoming more widely understood. HenPower is now supporting hundreds of older people to explore their creativity and reconnect with their communities.

“The enthusiasm for HenPower, from residents and care home staff to councillors and the public, has been fantastic.”

The scheme was piloted in 2012 and bring hens into care settings, to encourage creative activities and help support isolated older people, creating opportunities for them to build new relationships with others in their local community.

A 12 month study conducted by Northumbria University in 2014, found HenPower improved the health and well-being of older people and reduced depression and loneliness.

In 2015, Henpower was able to reach more than 1,000 older across more than 40 venues in the UK. Reaching older people in the North East, Yorkshire, Brighton and London where it was endorsed by Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.

The charity is currently delivering HenPower project to residents living in the North East, including: Newcastle, Gateshead, South Shields, County Durham, Middlesbrough, Darlington and Stockton.

Audrey Nisbet, deputy manager at Shadon House in Gateshead, said: “The service users here absolutely love the project and the singing, dancing and creative activities.

“All of the hens have names and people look forward to the sessions with the artists, who are brilliant at supporting people with dementia.

“It has been great working with Equal Arts, we would not do without them.”