Ferndown Manor residents have a 'hoot' of a time with poetry celebrations

Home news

Oct 23, 2018

It was time to share rhymes at Ferndown Manor when residents celebrated National Poetry Day – and received a special visit from some feathered friends.

Residents joined national celebrations by reading, writing and sharing their favourite poems from poet Edward Lear, with focus on his famous poem ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’. 

In celebration of the event, residents were also visited by a group of owls from Liberty’s Owl & Reptile Centre. The feathered friends helped inspire the residents to put pen to paper and write limericks in the style of Edward Lear, an English poet famous for popularising ‘literary nonsense’.

Home manager, Janet Lewis said: “Here at Ferndown Manor activity based care is essential in supporting residents to lead fulfilling lives and National Poetry Day was a great example of this. 

“It was fantastic to see residents and the team members come together for a day of reading poems from across the decades. It is remarkable to see how poetry can bring everyone together. The visit from Liberty’s really was the highlight of the day.

“Reading poems and short stories has many therapeutic benefits, it can create a sense of calm, increase social interaction and stimulate memory recall. These are all beneficial for older people, in particular those living with dementia.
“We had a wonderful time celebrating the theme of ‘change’ and sharing favourite poems and would like to say a big that you to everyone involved.” 

National Poetry Day inspires people across the UK to celebrate and promote excellence in poetry. This year the organisers have chosen a theme of change. For more information, visit www.nationalpoetryday.co.uk