Ballinamallard PS and Milverne care home connect

After discovering a ‘kindness post box’ set up last year to encourage young people to write to older people, to connect because of the lockdown, Ballinamallard PS teacher Carol Elliott decided to inspire her class to get involved.

“We wrote letters and I brought them round to the kindness post box that was at the Spar shop in Enniskillen,” she told this newspaper.

Initially, Carol had no idea where the letters would be sent to, but later found out that they had been delivered to the residents of Milverne Residential Care Home.

“So we wrote letters and then the residents wrote back to us,” she explained, adding: “We started a sort of connection between them and us.”

This year, Carol has the same class of pupils, and therefore decided to continue the connection with Milverne residents through regular Zoom online meetings.

Children at Ballinamallard Primary School.

“We sang and danced for the residents at Christmas and at Easter, they sent us a wee colouring competition.

“They did it, and we did it. They judged our entries, and we judged theirs,” said Carol, noting that the residents sent her pupils Easter Eggs as treats for completing the competition.

Talking about how the children have benefited from this inter-generational connection, Carol said: “First of all, it has been really exciting to send a letter and receive something back.

“I think that still has its place, even though writing letters is very old-fashioned, children love getting replies, so that in itself has been a big positive.”

She also acknowledged the impact of the pandemic and lockdown on both generations.

‘Opportunity’

“I suppose it’s been difficult for both age groups; I know it’s been difficult for everybody, but I think especially younger people have really missed out with lockdown with mixing, and then the older generation have as well, so I think that [the letter writing and Zoom meetings] have really given them an opportunity [to socialise], I suppose.

“Some of the children maybe didn’t get to visit their grannies and grandads during the lockdown so it has been lovely to meet up in a way online with older people, just with a different generation, but with the same kind of problem – that they weren’t able to mix, so that has been nice,” Carol told this newspaper.

Easter art competition.

Speaking to The Impartial Reporter, Grace McClintock, activity co-ordinator in Milverne Residential Care Home, explained that the residents’ faces “light up” when they see younger people.

“They feel connected, because they haven’t been able to see children over the past year or two as much. Before that we would have had quite a few children in, once a month or more,” she said, adding: “It makes them feel like they are valued and they still can connect up with people who are younger than them that they might not normally come into contact with, because not everyone has young children in their families.

“It’s keeping them connected with the generations.”

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Over the next few weeks, the primary school children and care home residents will be planting sunflower seeds for each other.

“The residents can see the flowers; that will remind them of the children who have done this for them,” said Grace.

The connection between the Fermanagh primary school and the care home has been supported by Linking Generations Northern Ireland, and ‘All Ages April’ funding.