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Charity brings songs and smiles to residents in Brackendale Retirement Housing

The Together Project are bringing songs and smiles to residents in Brackendale Retirement Housing
The Together Project are bringing songs and smiles to residents in Brackendale Retirement Housing

A charity is creating intergenerational connections to boost wellbeing, reduce loneliness and foster stronger and happier communities in Blackburn and nationwide.

Age segregation is a problem in the UK according to the national charity, The Together Project, and it has been getting worse for 25 years.

However, the charity are now trying to break those barriers inviting ages 0-4 and their parents to meet older people in care homes and assisted living schemes for Songs & Smiles, Crafting Connections and Hand in Hand Together.

Each Thursday at 10.30am, Songs & Smiles takes place in Brackendale Retirement Housing with children and older people dancing with joy, crying with laughter and creating long lasting friendships.

Jenny Reed, Content and Communications Manager for the charity said the sessions allow residents in care homes and assisted living and children to create friendships at the same time as breaking away the loneliness some of the older people are feeling.

Blowing kisses to say goodbye

Jenny said: "As a charity we do intergenerational activities to hopefully end loneliness, well try and reduce it, boost wellbeing and try and get local communities together.

"We started in 2017 with our founder Louise who took her son along to see an aunt that lived in a care home, and she saw the massive change in people, not only her aunt but also the other residents' reactions to a child being there.

"And she thought, hang on a second we can do something here.

"We were a community interest company and then changed into a charity, so it's just grown from that.

"During Covid we decided to make Hand in Hand Together, where young children and people in care homes did hand prints and sent them to one another, this was a one off, and then we set up Crafting Connections to keep people connected when Covid was happening.

"This launched at the beginning of this year and it's a monthly subscription so parents sign up their child and they get a pack, fill it in, do some art work and then send it off to an older person in a care home and they do the same back for them.

Lots of fun for all ages

"Friendships build over the months and it's a sweet thing for youngsters and older people.

"We also have Songs & Smiles which is a big success in Blackburn, they are assigned to speak to everybody with nursery rhymes for education for children and memories for older people, songs like Elvis, instruments, colourful scarves, bubbles and activities and the idea is they reduce loneliness, boosts wellbeing and creates opportunities for all generations to feel valued.

"The sessions are beneficial for everyone."

Arthur, a Brackendale Resident, said: "I loved the bubbles and the amazement on the children's faces.

"It was wonderful, it really struck me!”

The sessions are weekly, free or donate what you can and places can be booked at thetogetherproject.org.uk.

Sessions are currently fully booked, but new dates will be released next week so the charity are advising people to keep a look out on Facebook for updates and to take part in Crafting Connections whilst they wait.