Residents from Great Oaks care home in Bournemouth were visited by a group of local students on the Prince’s Trust Team Programme as part of the home’s promotion of intergenerational care.

The students, completing the course run by Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, carried out a variety of activities with residents including gardening, arts and crafts, baking and playing board games.

Michele Blake, Wellbeing Manager at Great Oaks, explained: “Although we have a daily wellbeing programme full of activities and entertainers, it is a sad truth but some of our residents can experience loneliness from time to time, even with regular visits from friends and relatives. Therefore, we encourage local community groups of all ages to visit Great Oaks, to offer a fresh perspective and to help residents retain valuable connections to what’s happening in the local area.

“It was wonderful to see our residents socialising with the students and learning new skills from each other. The time they spent bonding over the different activities really boosted their mood and you could see the mutual joy that was felt by both our residents and the students.”

Debbie Harvey, Prince’s Trust Team Leader, added: “The Prince's Trust team had a great day playing games and completing craft activities with the residents at Great Oaks. It was lovely to see the groups engaging so well with one another.”

Great Oaks is managed by Encore Care Homes, with two other care homes in Christchurch and Fareham, with its fourth home, Oakdale, due to open in Poole next month. The 80-bed care home is fitted with state-of-the-art facilities, designed to enable staff to provide the highest standard of 24-hour, personalised care and ensure residents are comfortable and happy in their surroundings.

www.greatoaksbournemouth.co.uk