Music Group Brings Generations together at Powys Care Home

Residents at a Powys care home joined together with a local primary school as part of a project of learning how to engage people with music.

The Grove care home in Ystradgynlais welcomed children from Ysgol Gymraeg Dyffryn Y Glowyr for an intergenerational afternoon of singing and games.

Intergenerational Music Making (IMM) is a national, not-for-profit organisation which delivers programmes, training and research to improve mental and physical wellbeing of older people and the young through the power of music.

The session involved children writing down how different songs made them feel as well as the residents trying their hand at conducting. There were also games including pass the bean bag.

Intergenerational partnerships can help build confidence, challenge assumptions and prejudices and help tackle social isolation and loneliness for children and older people.

Service manager at the Shaw healthcare-operated home, Joe Jenkins, commented: “To see the interactions from both the residents and children was so heart-warming to watch. You can see on their faces how music can really touch people’s emotions. We are very much looking forward to the children visiting again.”