Ex-WW2 land girl dubbed 'chicken whisperer' as she 'hengages' with arts project

A 93-year-old care home resident who kept chickens during WW2 whilst in the Women’s Land Army has been dubbed ‘the chicken whisperer’ after connecting with several of the birds who visited her care home as part of an arts project.

Irene Fleming from Mandale House Care Home, on Acklam Road, in Thornaby, immediately took to the three new chickens - named Dolly, Penny and Nancy - which arrived at the home as part of the HenPower project, run by charity Equal Arts.

The care home resident was a natural with the birds and was able to reassure and quieten them when they first arrived.

Irene said: “I love having hens here at Mandale. They’re such good girls. They remind me of my flock when I was a land girl.”

‘Other land girls said I was barmy because I loved the chickens so much’

Irene joined the Women’s Land Army shortly after the outbreak of war and was based at Shincliff Hall, near Durham. She said: “I did all of the usual farm duties – planting, harvesting and mucking out – but my favourite thing was to work with the hens.

“The hens thought I was their mum as they would come when I called them. I would sing to them while I worked, and they liked the sound of my voice. I named one Veronica after my friend. At first Veronica wasn’t very happy at sharing her name with a chicken but after a while she came around.

“The other Land Army girls said I was barmy because I loved the chickens so much.”

Whilst working as a land girl she met her husband Lesley, who was an agricultural student at Houghall College, in Durham.

The pair eventually married in April 1949 at Saint Peter and Saint Paul Church, in South Shields and celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary earlier this year.

Not just petting sessions

Not all care home residents that benefit from the HenPower project have a farming past or have any experience in dealing with animals.

Now in more than 40 care homes, the charity says its project ‘hengages’ older people in arts activities and hen-keeping to promote health and wellbeing and to reduce loneliness.

The approach of the group is light-hearted, but the hen visits aren’t just petting sessions. The project includes weekly creative sessions run by Equal Arts associates.

Other aims of the project are, to:

• Support relationship centred care between older people, staff, families, visitors and the wider community

• Inspire residents, relatives and care staff to be aspirational in providing meaningful creative activities

• Encourage partnerships with the wider community and groups like school children, people with disabilities, students, local history groups, arts events and festivals

• Provide care staff with skills transfer and professional development opportunities

The chicken scheme is also very beneficial for calming stressed residents who may have challenging behaviours and it also gets residents outside into the garden more.

Karleen Taylor-Williams, manager at Philips Court, Gateshead, said: “Hens are excellent. We couldn’t do without them. In the 69-bed nursing home I manage every resident can have challenging behaviour and working with HenPower has helped to bring a sense of calm.

“We don’t use prescribed sedatives or antipsychotics because the hens do it for us. The hens and the activities we take part in just promote calmness.

“I’ve found it has brought a focus for the staff, clients and relatives. We get everyone out in the garden all of the time now, because there’s a reason to be there.”

Red carpet rolled out for the arrival of care home chickens

The HenPower project at Mandale was launched by Thornaby Mayor Cllr Steve Walmsley and Mayoress Cllr Sylvia Walmsley.

Visiting the home, Mayor Walmsley said: “The latest invite received from Mandale House to Sylvia and I in our capacity as Mayor and Mayoress of Thornaby was unusual to say the least.

“The wonderful staff at Mandale House had recently embarked on a project to introduce three new egg-laying residents to the home and decided to make it a special event. And so with great fanfare – or maybe henfare – I introduced three hens into the home via a red carpet laden with food to entice the new residents."

Activities coordinator at Mandale House, Tracy Wilson said: “Already the impact of HenPower here has been massive. The hens bring so much joy and engage residents in ways we didn’t think possible.

“They’re a real focal point for our home now and everyone loves them. They’ve given people reason to get out of their chair and into the garden. People are planting and watering and watching the hens every day.”

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