Winchcombe School in Newbury takes part in Brazilian charity initiative to bring pupils and care home residents together
A Newbury primary school has taken part in a new initiative with a Brazilian charity to bring pupils and care home residents together, writes Ace Beattie.
The day included fun activities to support the environment.
Care UK’s Winchcombe Place, on Maple Cresent, held the event at Winchcombe School to take part in Generations of Change, an “intergenerational initiative to unite older and younger generations in a mission of environmental health and stewardship”.
Mavis McNaught, a 94-year-old resident, 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.”
The new programme aims to spread the wisdom of older members of society and the fresh perspectives of the children in hands-on activities linked to climate change, sustainability and biodiversity.
The team at Winchcombe Place spearheaded the initiative, with more than 1,000 people working to make the event happen, including pupils and help from a community-based organisation in Paranagua, Brazil, Grupo Very Good.
Grupo Very Good also announced the next project it will be working on, which will involve planting at least 1,000 native trees to grow an orchard of lemon, orange and palm trees in Brazil.
In the UK, residents will be growing pollinator-friendly plants like lavender.
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.”
Aligned with school curriculums, this will be the first of many initiatives that take place in Winchcombe Place, not only aiming to teach biodiversity and sustainable living, but also to combat loneliness in older people by fostering meaningful connections.
