Students send out messages of love to home residents
STUART PIKE
STUDENTS have written cards of kindness to cheer isolated care home residents during lockdown.
The initiative allowed the Health and Social Work Professions and Childcare students at Accrington and Rossendale College and Nelson and Colne College to bring out their artistic flair, by creating the colourful handmade cards.
Full of touching, personal messages, they have now been gratefully received by elderly residents in local care homes.
The students wanted to raise a smile while many care homes are restricting the number of visitors, or not allowing visitors at all, due to the risk of spreading the coronavirus disease to residents.
This is at a time when Age UK figures show in normal circumstances that 200,000 older people have not had a conversation with friends or family for a month.
Residents at Springhill Care Home in Accrington,
Favordale Home for Older People in Colne, and Eaves Hall Rest Home and Heather Grange Care Home in Burnley received the cards.
Amanda Boyer, Curriculum Leader for Health and Social Work Professions, said: “Empathy is a key quality taught within our curriculum and I’m thrilled that our students were so eager to demonstrate this through their lovely cards to care homes.
“The cards were full of good wishes, positive messages and happy thoughts, and I hope that they have managed to bring a smile to residents’ faces and reduced loneliness during these uncertain times.”
College staff have also pulled together to help a
Hyndburn food bank during the coronavirus outbreak.
With Nelson and Colne College Group moving to online teaching and learning, donations of food from staff were combined with the unused stock from the NCC Refectory to be passed to Maundy Grace in Accrington, as well as the Inspiring Grace food bank, which covers the Pendle and Burnley areas.
Rachel Cox, careers and personal development manager, said: “While switching to online teaching and learning so quickly has been a real upheaval at College, being able to put essential food on the tables of the most vulnerable members of our society puts it all into perspective.”