Local children join Fareham care home for a journey into Christmas past
Old festive traditions came to life at a care home in Fareham, where residents welcomed a local school for a day of seasonal activities.
Care UK’s Parker Meadows, on Redlands Lane, joined forces with local children to revisit customs from Christmas past.
The event was part of Care UK’s ‘Step into Christmas’ initiative, which aims to revive residents’ festive traditions, encouraging them to share memories with the younger generation.
By blending storytelling, crafts and carol singing, the events create a space for meaningful intergenerational connection.
On the day, the children visited the home for a festive writing workshop. With some help from residents, the children perfected their letters to Father Christmas, sharing the seasonal cheer across generations
Resident Ferda Aplin said: “I really enjoyed the afternoon, chatting with the everyone about past Christmases. It’s important to keep traditions going and pass them down through the generations. When my children left home, My husband and I made a new traditions for ourselves. We used my husbands old Royal Navy socks for small stockings to each other.”
Lukasz Mikolaj Irzabek, Home Manager at Parker Meadows, said: “Christmas is such a special time of year, and this workshop allowed us to honour those memories from residents’ childhoods of writing letters to Father Christmas.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to bring different generations together for a day of festive cheer. It was truly heart-warming to watch residents reminisce and share stories from Christmases gone by.
“We’d like to extend a huge thank you to the children for joining us and making the day so joyous for all involved! Their presence brought an extra sparkle to the day.”
Parker Meadows provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. The home incorporates plenty of space for hobby and leisure activities in addition to independent-living bungalows on site. The layout of the building is configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge and dining room to facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.