Scarecrow Brings Local Pupils And Care Home Residents Together

Residents at Hartismere Place care home in Eye, Suffolk were joined by pupils from St. Peter and St. Paul CEVA Primary School as part of an inter-generational project aimed at dispelling the myths and stigma associated with dementia.

A class of 30 eight and nine year olds visited Hartismere Place as part of the Archie Project; an initiative set-up by the charity Reminiscence Learning and introduced by Care UK at the home.

The pupils took time throughout the afternoon to work with residents on arts and crafts projects. They also talked about what life had been like when the residents were at school. The afternoon concluded with the children performing an entertaining rap which put a smile on everyone’s faces.

The Archie Project is a dementia awareness programme linking schools and care homes together. It is centred round a brightly knitted scarecrow called Archie which has been designed to help pupils understand how the condition can affect older people.

Angela Hodge, customer relations manager at Hartismere Place, said: “The pupils and residents had a wonderful time getting to know each other and sharing stories. We believe it’s important to learn about dementia from a young age and hope that this project will raise awareness of the condition for pupils, as well as their parents, teachers and the local community. We look forward to working with pupils at St. Peter and St. Paul CEVA Primary School on future projects and hope to build on the friendships which have been forged.”