This project was designed to bring both care home residents and school children together every week for intergenerational fun building Lego together. Like most activities, it had to change significantly as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic.
After brokering the relationships necessary with schools and nearby care settings, we successfully managed to run a small number of sessions as intended before the pandemic hit in spring 2020.
We could not have anticipated the way in which Covid would have an enduring impact on schools and care homes or for the people working within them. The huge shift in priorities and ways of working for both parties meant we had to change our project too. We were very grateful for the confidence, flexibility and support from the Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation who administer these funds on behalf of The Wesleyan Foundation.
In the end, we created a ready to use
The following is a quote from an Activity Coordinator at a care home, which highlights the huge impact that the project had during a really tough period:
“In a very pressured time, you have taken the pressure off. This is fabulous – I can’t say how much it has helped us. It’s so much easier….you’ve given us so many different ideas. It’s helped other staff too – they can just grab the box for an activity. It’s just fantastic to be in the loop, we’ve really missed being able to join together…” (with our Forum of other local activity coordinators)
Susan Hough, Activity Coordinator, New Wycliffe Care Home, Leicester
Our thanks go to Rowena Williams and Fiona Smith for delivering such a thoughtful and impactful project for the benefit of older people in care homes and those who look after them too, in spite of such difficult (and changing) circumstances.