Bristol care home residents and pupils join forces for Harvest Festival fun

 

A care home in Bristol has joined forces with local primary school children to celebrate Harvest Festival.  

Residents at Care UK’s Trymview Hall on Southmead Road, were joined by children from Badock’s Wood E-Act Academy for an a-maize-ing afternoon as they celebrated the annual festival.  

As part of the celebrations, the children and residents participated in a scarecrow-making competition and engaged in an interactive discussion with Maggie from Brighter Moments Bristol. Maggie, a one-woman enterprise, leads topical sessions at the home. During the discussion, they explored the origins of the festival, its significance in today’s society, and the importance of preserving this long-standing tradition.

In addition, residents and team members at Trymview Hall made food hampers using donations from the local community and produce from the homes garden, which will be donated to Holy Trinity Church, Westbury On Trym who distributed to local food banks.

Commenting on the afternoon’s celebrations, resident Mimi, aged 93, said: “It was wonderful to share our memories of Harvest Festival with the children. 

“It’s important for us to remember how hard farmers work to produce our food. Many children often don’t know where all the packaged food comes from. It was lovely that we collected so much for those who need a little extra help too.”

Nicole Anderson, Home Manager at Trymview Hall said: “It was fantastic to welcome the children from Brentry Primary School to Trymview Hall to celebrate the annual Harvest Festival tradition and explore its importance today. 

“Harvest Festival is a day in the calendar where we can reflect and show gratitude for the food that we have, while serving as an opportunity to connect with others, regardless of age or background, and celebrate the cultural diversity which helps make Bristol a great place to call home.   

“We’d like to say a big thank you to Maggie from Brighter Moments for delivering an amazing assembly. Everyone had an a-maize-ing day and we’re already looking forward to our next event with the children from Badock’s Wood E-Act Academy as we race towards Christmas!”

The Harvest Festival initiative coincides with the launch of Care UK’s ESG strategy which sets out the care home provider’s ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040. This includes supporting the conservation of wild animals and plants through outdoor projects to increase biodiversity in each home’s garden. This has seen residents and team members create wildflower patches, bug hotels, and bird nesting spots, and run by newly appointed Sustainability Champions who ensure homes are being as sustainable as possible.