Young and old meet for Jubilee tea party
BURNHAM: An inter-generational tea party to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee was held on Thursday last week at St Peter’s CE Junior School, writes Melissa Paulden.
Pupils and teaching staff welcomed representatives from the county council plus guests from Perry House Retirement Living to celebrate in red, white and blue over tea and cake.
It was a double celebration as the children at the school and residents of Perry
House have shared a link that’s lasted two decades as the two components of an inter-generational programme called LaST (Learning and Sharing Together), an initiative run by Burnham Health Promotion Trust.
More than 600 pupils aged 9-11 and 50 residents of
Perry House have got together in term time across the 20 years to talk about global events such as the Second World War and to share and learn about pieces of local history as well.
Over the years children have enjoyed learning from ‘the older people’s memories, not second hand, from books’ and, whether they are aged 11 or 80, contributors from both ends of the age scale have benefited from regular meetings and events.
LaST began when conversations in a care home around the time of the Golden Jubilee in 2002 brought a sense of shared nostalgia to the group.
Shirley Shaw, working at the time as the Older People’s Project Worker at Burnham Health Promotion Trust, noticed how much joy the residents got from sharing memories and it sparked an idea for an inter-generational project that has boosted education and brought friendship and joy to people of all ages for two decades.
Shirley says being at the
Platinum Jubilee party was wonderful – especially after seeing each other onlineonly for two years.
She said: “All the guests were sitting at long tables decorated with red, white and blue cloths and we were served with delicious tea and cakes and jellies by the staff who looked amazing in their Fifties dresses.
“All the children in the school were wearing their Jubilee medals and many were wearing red, white and blue.
“One of the highlights was when every child in the school came out to sing the National Anthem – it is something that I am sure all of us who were there will never forget.”