A story that’s plot on – Thorrington care home residents read bedtime stories to local children

Residents at a care home in Thorrington have been reading well-known bedtime stories to local children as part of a nationwide initiative to celebrate National Storytelling Week. 

Thorrington may seem a little quieter than usual after residents from Care UK’s Silversprings, on Tenpenny Hill, welcomed a local Beaver Scouts group into the home’s lounge for a retelling of some much-loved classics, including Sleeping Beauty.

To celebrate National Storytelling Week, Care UK has created the Bedtime Stories initiative which sees residents across the UK read classic bedtime stories to young children. The campaign, which includes the launch of four free videos of residents reading famous stories, ensures children who may not have a grandparent do not miss out on a magical tale before bedtime.

At Silversprings, 93-year-old resident, Dorothy, read the The Elves and the Shoemaker to the children as they listened eagerly. Dorothy said: “I had a wonderful time reading to the children and especially loved listening to them reading to us. It’s always lovely when the children come to visit – I don’t know where they get their energy from!”

Joanne Rix, Home Manager at Silversprings, said: “Here at Silversprings we always enjoy opening our doors to the local community, so it was fantastic to be joined by the Beaver Scouts. 

“Intergenerational activities are incredibly enriching for all ages and provide a fantastic opportunity for residents and children to interact with one another. The youngsters were able to soak up a wonderful story and the residents benefited from gaining a different perspective from the children on a traditional story. It’s fantastic to host a session such as this to allow the two generations to spend time with one another.

“We thoroughly enjoyed hosting the ‘Bedtime Stories’ reading session with the children and hope that we have helped them to continue building a love of reading.”

To watch four Bedtime Stories read by Care UK residents, or for more information about the Bedtime Stories initiative, visit: careuk.com/bedtime-stories

Silversprings is a state-of-the-art care home which provides full-time residential, nursing, dementia and short-term respite care. The care home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities and includes its own hair salon.

For more information on Silversprings, please call Customer Relations Manager, Lisa O’Sullivan, on 01206 809173, or email lisa.osullivan@careuk.com 

For more general information, please go to careuk.com/silversprings