Schoolchildren create over 130 festive paper hearts for care home residents

Primary schoolchildren have created more than 130 paper hearts promoting kindness to brighten the walls of Fairmile Grange.

Pupils from Avonwood Primary School in Bournemouth have been learning about kindness during their lessons and decided to grab their colouring pens and pencils to create some brightly coloured designs for the residents at our care home based.

Harrison Nash, 7, and his little brother, Jack, 5, safely gave the artwork to Kim Butters, Wellbeing Manager at Fairmile Grange. They were supported by their mum, Claire Nash, a teaching assistant at Avonwood Primary School, and teacher, Sarah Darch.

“As part of our PSHE lessons, we’ve been looking at kindness and we made small care hearts to give to each other with a nice message on. Then we thought this would be a nice way to spread kindness outside of school,” said Sarah.

The colourful care hearts feature lots of festive, winter drawings including Christmas trees, snowmen, Father Christmas, reindeers and even snowball fights, alongside positive messages of encouragement from the Year 1 and Year 5 pupils.

Kim Butters, Wellbeing Manager at Fairmile Grange, said: “We are used to having children coming into the care home but haven’t been able to during the Coronavirus pandemic. It is lovely to see that the children have been thinking of us, and we will be able to make a lovely display with the care hearts, as well as residents being able to have them decorating their rooms.”

Throughout the year, we’ve hosted a range of activities at Fairmile Grange for the benefit of the residents including a sponsored walk inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society, and during the warmer weather, the team organised a beach-themed day for the residents to enjoy in the care home’s garden. Earlier this year, Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood spent an afternoon volunteering at Fairmile Grange during the first lockdown to gain an insight into the challenges that the local care sector was facing.

Encore Care Homes has four purpose-built care homes supporting residents with residential, nursing and dementia care. The Encore family includes Fairmile Grange in Christchurch, Oakdale in Poole, Great Oaks in Bournemouth and Hamble Heights in Fareham.