Bedhampton care home brings generations together through collaboration with local youth hub
Recently, Portsdown View care home in Bedhampton welcomed a group of young people from Havant Youth Hub as part of a new collaboration with Havant Borough Council.
Aimed at supporting the social development, employability, and personal growth of the four participants, the team wanted to give them a taste of what it’s like to live and work in a care home.
During the visit, residents and their young guests took part in a variety of fun and educational activities including chair yoga, arts and crafts, team games and puzzles, and they also later enjoyed lunch together at the home’s on-site restaurant. The residents and youngsters were fast friends; so much so that one of the participants has since applied to a professional carer role at Portsdown View.
Pippa Mafunga, General Manager at Portsdown View, comments: “It was truly wonderful to see our residents connect so easily and naturally with some local youngsters. It goes to show that It shows that when generational barriers are overcome and people are given a chance to connect, the results are always meaningful, uplifting and memorable for everyone involved. We’re also incredibly proud to be the first care home in the borough to take part in this brilliant scheme!”
The visit was also structured to offer participants a valuable insight into working in the social care sector, whilst helping them gain valuable employability skills including interpersonal communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and empathy for people at all stages of life. The experience also supported the aims of the Empower You programme; Havant Young Hub’s 14-week development initiative designed to build confidence, self-esteem and essential life skills.
The visit was also the first step in what Portsdown View hopes will be a long-term collaboration with Havant Borough Council. Discussions are already underway around further schemes – including arranging mock job interviews, guest speaker sessions, employability workshops, work experience and volunteering opportunities, and even fast-track interviews for members of Havant Youth Hub.
Encouragingly, the experience has already led to two of the participants to apply for roles at Connaught Care – one looking for work experience within the management team, and another applying for a full-time carer position at Portsdown View itself.
A representative from Havant Youth Hub adds: “It was genuinely heartwarming to see how a single day at Portsdown View inspired so much growth and optimism among the participants. Sometimes, all young people need is to see how many exciting and fruitful career opportunities are out there; which is why collaborations like this are so crucial. We are very excited for the young people and all that lies ahead for them, and we very much look forward to continuing our collaboration throughout 2026!”
Portsdown View is part of the Connaught Care Collection, an award-winning provider of luxury care homes. For more information, please contact [email protected], or call 02393 882154.