Martlets recently launched a new project ‘You Are Never Alone’ to connect schools with care homes. Please see attached link showcasing some of the childrens’ work. https://video.link/w/ouW1b
The project helped build community between the generations and make life better for people living in care homes through the human act of connecting to share experiences. Children of all ages were invited, by their teachers, to create a letter, poem, piece of art or an audio recording that is shared with a care home resident living nearby.
The hope is that in time when restrictions allow, these links will see a two-way communication with the residents, with twinning of homes to their nearest schools to encourage an on-going relationship with benefits all round.
As the local charity providing hospice care for Brighton and Hove, Martlets supports people to live their days to the full. Working with care homes on a daily basis, now more than ever, we’ve seen the need for helping build connection with residents who may be facing restrictions on visitors and limited contact with the world outside. Martlets is bringing this together locally as part of a commitment to build a kinder, more connected and compassionate community, and hopes to help minimise social isolation and loneliness, and support children and care home residents alike to feel part of something bigger, especially through these times of restriction and rapid change.
We spoke to the children about the project and discussed the charity. We then spent several lessons creating letters to send off. Thinking carefully about what we would like to include so that the people reading them would be interested but also hopefully reflect positively on their lives. Here are some of the letters our students have written.