Young Visitors Project launches
We’re partnering with a care home to launch a new joint venture – the Young Visitors Project (June 2023).
We’re working with Northlands House Bupa Care Home as part of its ongoing efforts to encourage multigenerational interaction as a way of boosting beneficial socialisation for all ages.
Community partnerships
Annie Clewlow, our Manager, says: “During the last year, we’ve developed several community partnerships aimed at achieving our vision of encouraging multigenerational interactions. This Young Visitors Project is our latest venture and we recently held our inaugural gathering.
“Going forward young people, aged 16-18, will be visiting Northlands House Bupa Care Home, supported by experienced Communicare volunteers. They will join in with both group activities and room visits organised by the care home.
Reducing isolation
“We know that the young people will gain confidence and fulfilment by connecting with the residents, as well as reducing isolation for those they are visiting. We also hope to see some of the youngsters stay on with us, as once they turn 18, they will be able visit other service users in their homes.
“With this project, the care home residents are volunteers too, as they are helping both to train the young people for us and to give them an insight into relating to people whose life experiences may have been very different from their own.”
Time with younger people
Northlands House Bupa Care Home offers nursing and respite care, as well as convalescence and palliative care. The purpose-built home provides support for those aged 65 plus.
Helen Cousins from Northlands House Bupa Care Home says: “We’re delighted to be involved with this new project because it’s going to give our residents the opportunity to see and spend time with younger people and to find out from them their thoughts for the future.”
Learn new skills
The youngers will come from various schools including King Edward VI School Sixth Form in Southampton. One of the volunteers is Gabriella Tchuenkam from Barton Peveril Sixth Form College in Eastleigh.
She says: “I’m delighted to join this wonderful project because working in a care setting has always been a place I enjoy. I’m sure this project will help us learn new skills that we can apply in the future.”
How to get involved
Visits to Northlands House Bupa Care Home will begin on July 8 and the programme is still open to other young people wishing to join. Please email us via enquiry@communicareinsouthampton.org.uk or call 023 82 50 0050.