Local care homes team up with schools to exchange heartfelt letters

Two St Albans-based Bupa Care Homes have teamed up with a local primary and high school in the hope of spreading intergenerational joy between residents and pupils as part of a ‘Hearts for Schools’ campaign.

Residents at Allington Court and Tenterden House Bupa Care Homes wrote and decorated special heart-shaped letters, with poems, pictures and messages, which staff then delivered to pupils at Saracens High School and Park Street C of E Primary School and Nursery.

In return, the students crafted their own heart-shaped letters for the residents and delivered messages of goodwill to the home.

In total, the homes have sent 40 letters to the two schools, which are now proudly displayed across the walls of the school corridors and the two homes have collectively received 40 letters from the students in return.

Mary, resident at Allington Court, said: “We received some wonderful drawings and messages from the schools, my favourite one said: ‘Christmas is a time to dream, when all your wishes come true. Merry Christmas.’ Reading it certainly made us smile.

“My heart wished the children a very Merry Christmas and I told them to enjoy their presents.”

The idea came from teaching news and resource group, Picture News, who reached out to the homes’ Senior Activity Coordinator. Santina House, from Allington Court Bupa Care Home, thought it would be a great way to bring people together after a challenging year and involve residents in the local community.

Santina, Senior Activity Coordinator at Allington Court Bupa Care Home, said: “This year we’ve tried our hardest to continuously connect with the local community through several Covid-safe activities. When we approached the schools about the ‘Hearts for schools’ campaign, they were immediately keen to get involved. We are truly grateful and overwhelmed by their response.

“It means so much to our residents to be able to interact with new people, their faces really light up every time we read through the students’ messages. To know that others are thinking of you at this time of year is a lovely feeling.”

The two Bupa Care Homes welcome anyone in need of nursing or residential care, including those with Parkinson’s at Tenterden House and those with dementia, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s at Allington Court. For further information, please visit www.bupa.co.uk.

click here for more details or to contact Tenterden House Care Home