A care home in Newbury recently participated in a newly launched environmental initiative alongside a Brazilian charity, which brought together local schoolchildren and residents for a day of activities to help the environment.
Care UK’s Winchcombe Place, on Maple Crescent, recently held an event at Winchcombe School as they took part in Generations of Change, an intergenerational initiative that has been created to unite older and younger people in a shared mission of environmental stewardship.
The new Care UK Generations of Change program aims to harness the wisdom of older members of society and the fresh perspectives of children during hands-on activities linked to biodiversity, climate change and sustainable gardening, creating opportunities for a fulfilling knowledge exchange that will benefit the planet.
The team at Winchcombe Place spearheaded the initiative, with more than 1,000 people working hard to make the event happen, including school pupils and help from Grupo Very Good, a community-based organisation in Paranaguá, Brazil that focus on social, cultural, and environmental initiatives.
During the event, children moved through different interactive stalls that offered sustainability-focused activities and learning experiences, surrounding recycling, upcycling, wildlife conservation, biodiversity, climate change and much more.
Residents from Winchcombe Place had their own stall where they shared traditional sustainable practices. 85-year-old Jennifer Purslow spoke to the children about what sustainable living was like when she was younger, including how they used to fix clothes rather than throw them away, composted scraps, bought local produce, and only purchased what they needed, which meant minimal waste.
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust also joined the event to host a stall and deliver a talk on committing to a greener future, giving people the opportunity to pledge sustainability actions.
At the event, everyone came together to join a livestream with Grupo Very Good, so that children from Brazil and pupils from Winchcombe School could showcase the artwork they had made from the recycled materials that were collected.
Grupo Very Good also announced the next project they will be working on with Winchcombe Place, which will involve planting at least 1,000 native trees, donated by the home and Winchcombe School, to grow an orchard of lemon, orange, and palm trees in Brazil to help feed the local town over the next year. Meanwhile, in the UK, Winchcombe Place residents will be growing pollinator-friendly plants like buddleia and lavender, which people will be able to “adopt” to help support local wildlife.
94-year-old resident, Mavis McNaught, said: “Spending time with the children has been absolutely delightful — their enthusiasm is contagious, and they ask the most thoughtful questions. It’s so important to protect the environment because we’ve seen how much it’s changed over the years. If we want future generations to enjoy nature the way we did, we all need to do our part — young and old alike.”
Aligned with school curriculums, this will be the first of many Generations of Change projects at Winchcombe Place, bringing a unique bidirectional learning model into the home that allows residents to mentor children on traditional conservation practices while children share modern perspectives on sustainable living during their shared environmental projects.
Beyond environmental education, this initiative aims to combat loneliness in older people by fostering meaningful connections that promote a sense of purpose, enriching the lives of both generations as they work together towards a more sustainable future.
Care UK has also created downloadable packs with resources for teachers and groups, including fun, interactive activities to help facilitate intergenerational lessons, with the educational packs covering topics from biodiversity to food sustainability, climate change and recycling.
Vicki Lambourne, Senior Customer Relations Manager at Winchcombe Place, said: “We were thrilled to see our hard work pay off and witness the pupils and residents working together and learning more about sustainability at this fantastic event.
“The amazing partnership we have built with Grupo Very Good in Brazil will enable us to have a truly global impact in our ongoing work for the Generations of Change initiative.
“Generations of Change will enable Winchcombe Place residents and school pupils to continue to learn from one another and share knowledge in a fulfilling way – and it’s great to see it coming to life across other Care UK homes. We can’t wait to continue the great work we have started and would like to thank Winchcombe School for taking part and joining us in our mission to help the planet”
For more information about Care UK’s Generations of Change, and to download the free resources, visit careuk.com/generations-of-change
In 2024, Care UK secured official accreditation for the high standards it used to measure corporate greenhouse gas emissions, an important milestone in its journey of reducing carbon emissions and achieving net zero by 2040. Care UK continues to work towards having at least one Sustainability Champion in each of their 160+ homes and Generations of Change complements the organisation’s ESG values and dedication to sustainability, community and intergenerational relationships.
More than 99% of Care UK’s general waste was diverted from landfill last year, alongside the reduction of unnecessary pharmaceutical waste, and investments continue to be made in home upgrades such as environmentally friendly LED lighting and salary sacrifice schemes to encourage team members to cycle or switch to electric vehicles.
Winchcombe Place is designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The homes offer a range of services including residential, nursing, dementia and respite care, and has its very own cinema, hair and beauty salon and café.
