Bromsgrove care home bridges generation gap

Oct 13 2009 by Tony Collins, Birmingham Mail

RESIDENTS of a Midland care home have been bridging the gap with local children.

Burcot Grange residential care home in Bromsgrove is building on its strong links with the local community by creating a new bond between its elderly residents and pupils at the nearby Blackwell First School.

Every week during term-time, a group of residents from Burcot Grange visits the school to listen to the children read.

As well as helping to develop the pupils’ reading skills, the visits offer a unique opportunity for the two generations to spend time together and learn a little about each other’s lives.

Burcot resident Grace Cooper, a former children’s nurse, said: “This takes me back to my nursery training. I really enjoy being with the children.”

And Dr Trevor Lloyd added he was “somewhat surprised at the children’s standard of reading and their ability to concentrate, considering their young age.”