Keymer Hall Wins National Award for Intergenerational Activity
Keymer Hall, part of Boutique Care Homes, has been awarded Highly Commended in the NAPA Global Intergenerational Week Competition 2026, a national recognition of outstanding intergenerational practice in care settings across the UK and beyond.
NAPA, the National Activity Providers Association and the leading professional body for activity and engagement in health and social care, praised Keymer Hall’s entry for showing “creativity, inclusion and the lasting value of intergenerational practice”, with the organisation noting that the home’s “commitment to meaningful engagement and bringing generations together has been wonderful to see.”
Intergenerational connection sits at the heart of how Keymer Hall approaches care. Since opening, the home has built relationships with a wide range of local community groups and young people: Brownies visit regularly to spend time and do activities with residents; a local pre-school has joined the home for events including the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch and World Book Day; and Freddie, the home’s four-year-old ‘youth ambassador’, has been a regular presence since opening, delighting residents and the team in equal measure.
The home’s approach was brought to life most visibly through its ‘Spring Fling’ community event on 25th April 2026, which drew together residents, families and the wider Burgess Hill community. Local Scouts ran a free BBQ and entertainment ranged from a local girls’ school choir and classical soprano. Teenagers volunteered, a young aspiring entertainer made balloon animals, circus skills workshops ran in the garden alongside baby and toddler music groups, and traditional stalls were run by local schools and pre-schools.
Dame Vera Lynn’s daughter officially opened the home, with Freddie by her side. Every penny raised went to Chailey Heritage Foundation, a charity supporting some of the most severely disabled children in the country, chosen by the residents themselves.
Christine Bunce, Home Manager at Keymer Hall, said: “I couldn’t be prouder of what this team has created. Bringing generations together isn’t a nice extra, it’s central to what great care looks like. When you see the genuine joy it brings, for residents, for the children and young people involved, and for our team, you understand why it matters so much. To have that recognised by NAPA, in our very first year, means a great deal to everyone here.”
Helen Lewis, Head of Lifestyle and Wellbeing at Keymer Hall, added: “Since we opened in December, building intergenerational connections has been a real priority for us. The response from residents has been incredible, these connections bring a sense of life and energy that you simply can’t replicate any other way. We have so much more planned, and this recognition gives the whole team a real lift to keep going.”
Looking ahead, Keymer Hall has plans in place for an ongoing horticultural project with a local SEND college, a partnership with a ‘pay it forward’ charity supporting children with life-limiting illnesses, and a regular volunteering programme with a local Catholic school.
From tiny pre-schoolers to almost-adults, the home is committed to involving every generation.
