Bristol care home residents and schoolchildren unite for intergenerational environmental initiative

A care home in Bristol recently participated in a newly launched environmental initiative, bringing together local schoolchildren and residents for a day of green-fingered activities.

Care UK’s Ladden View, on Fletcher Road in Yate, recently invited children from 1st Yate Scouts group to join residents as they took part in Generations of Change, an intergenerational initiative that has been launched to unite older and younger people in a shared mission of environmental stewardship.  

The new Care UK Generations of Change programme aims to harness the wisdom of older members of society and the fresh perspectives of children during hands-on activities linked to biodiversity, climate change and sustainability, creating opportunities for a fulfilling knowledge exchange that will benefit the planet.   

To do their bit, Ladden View residents worked with the youngsters to decorate and personalise recycled flip flops, which the community have been donating, to create a "Flip Flop Angel Wing" sculpture. 

The sculpture will be placed on the grounds of Ladden View where the flip flops will all be individually personalised and designed by the residents and the Beavers from 1^st Yate Scouts.   

81-year-old resident Wendy Weaver said, “I absolutely loved engaging with the children. Their creativity and intelligence are just fascinating, and I loved being able to sit with them and assist them with their arts and crafts activities. I was truly in my element. I love it when we have visitors, especially children and animals, I feel right at home”.  

Sarah Daly, Home Manager at Ladden View, said: “It was wonderful to see the children and residents so engaged in the project and the absolute joy on their faces as they worked together on the sculpture. The flip-flop project not only promotes intergenerational community activity but also promotes the importance of recycling. 

“The Generations of Change initiative allows residents and children to learn from one another and share knowledge in a fulfilling way – and it’s great to see it coming to life. We’d like to thank the Beavers from 1^st Yate Scouts for their hard work and creativity, and for joining us in our mission.”

Aligned with school curriculums, this Generations of Change project is one of many that will take place at Ladden View, bringing a unique bidirectional learning model into the home that allows residents to mentor children on traditional conservation practices while children share modern perspectives on sustainable living during their shared projects. 

Beyond environmental education, this initiative aims to combat loneliness in older people by fostering meaningful connections that promote a sense of purpose, enriching the lives of both generations as they work together towards a more sustainable future. 

Care UK has also created downloadable packs with resources for teachers and groups, including fun, interactive activities to help facilitate intergenerational lessons, with the educational packs covering topics from biodiversity to food sustainability, climate change and recycling.

Care UK has secured official accreditation for its plans to be carbon neutral by 2040 and continues to work towards having at least one Sustainability Champion in each of their 160+ homes. Generations of Change complements the organisation’s ESG values and dedication to sustainability, community and intergenerational relationships. 

More than 99% of Care UK’s general waste was diverted from landfill last year, alongside the reduction of unnecessary pharmaceutical waste, and investments continue to be made in home upgrades such as environmentally friendly LED lighting and salary sacrifice schemes to encourage team members to cycle or switch to electric vehicles. 

Ladden View is a new, state-of the-art care home providing full-time residential and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable residents to live enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the home has its very own cinema, hair salon and café, along with plenty of space – both indoors and out – for relaxation and recreation.