This Easter, pre-school children from CHS Group’s Sunflower Nursery in Cambridge will visit Richard Newcombe Court, a purpose-built extra-care housing scheme, to participate in a number of seasonally-themed activities, as part of CHS Group’s intergenerational care programme.

Sunflower Nursery children at Richard Newcombe Court Cambridge

During their first visit the children will deliver a special Easter tree and then team up with the elderly tenants to decorate eggs which will be hung on the tree. The children will then return a week later to set up an Easter egg hunt in the home’s garden. Clues will be provided so that tenants can help the children find the eggs, without having to run around the garden.

Denise Taylor, Extra Care Services Manager, CHS Group said: “Intergenerational care can bring a wealth of benefits for both the younger and older generations. While the children have an opportunity to experience new environments and interactions, the weekly visits from Sunfl ower Nursery do wonders to boost the happiness and wellbeing of our elderly residents’ at Richard Newcombe Court. Regular activities include arts and crafts, singing and story reading sessions and over Easter, it is exciting to do something a little different.”

 CHS Group manages a number of intergenerational care programmes, including visits from Little Hands Nursery to Moorlands Court in Melbourn, another CHS extra care scheme, and visits from students at Chesterton Village College to Langdon House residential care home in Cambridge, as part of the YOPEY befriender scheme.

Elderly resident reading to nursery child
Elderly resident reading to nursery child

Meanwhile, at Sunflower Nursery this Easter, children have been able to witness and understand the lifecycle of a chick hatching from an egg, thanks to Living Eggs, a two-week comprehensive programme which provides everything needed to hatch chicks in schools, nurseries or care homes.

Kristen Dutton, Nursery Manager, Sunflower Nursery, Cambridge, commented: “Having the opportunity for the children to see this natural cycle first hand has produced some beautiful language and understanding for the children. Children are using vocabulary such as, ‘hatch, egg, chicken, hen, cracked’, and the older children witnessed a chick hatching from an egg. The parents have thanked us for providing this opportunity for their children to learn about the new birth of animals at this time of year.”

Residents at Vera James House, our residential care home in Ely, also had the joy of watching chicks hatch. Staff, their children and grandchildren were also excited to hold the baby chicks.