Local school joins Southampton residents to celebrate new friendship

Residents at a Sarisbury Green care home have been enjoying activities with the younger generation as part of new project.

The team at Care UK’s Ancasta Grove, on Barnes Lane, have been welcoming pupils from Sarisbury Infant School as part of a new initiative.

The 4 – 6-year-old local pupils started visiting Ancasta Grove regularly in April 2023. After the success of the first few visits, the team and teachers decided to make the sessions a weekly occurrence with the school adding the visits to their own curriculum.

The pupils have recently enjoyed reading with the residents, as well as gardening and singing. They have also been growing tomatoes, planting sunflower seeds, making crafts from foraged wood, reading together and drawing pictures of each other for the art classes.

The visits are set to continue into the next academic year in September. 

June Naguib, a resident at Ancasta Grove, said: “I love it when the children come. It always makes me smile when I see them. It’s lovely to see them every week and to do activities with them, and see them learning.”

Joel Ignacio, Home Manager at Ancasta Grove, said: “Intergenerational activities are a huge part of life here at Ancasta Grove and we love the weekly visits from Sarisbury Infant School.

"Intergenerational relationships have shown to be incredibly fulfilling, as they give younger and older generations a chance to learn from one another. These connections can be especially helpful for older people as they can provide a sense of purpose and spark discussions about their own childhood.

“We’d like to say a huge thanks to Sarisbury Infant School for continuing to participate in our project, and we look forward to welcoming them back after their summer break.” 

Ancasta Grove has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The home provides residential, nursing and specialist dementia care, as well as respite and end of life care, and is proud to be able to offer a ‘home for life’ if an individual’s needs change over time.