After five years of exchanging letters, students from Sherborne Girls recently met their pen pals in person at Abbey View care home in Sherborne, bringing handwritten friendships to life across the generations.
The visit marked a joyful milestone in an intergenerational initiative that began during the pandemic, when Abbey View and Sherborne Girls launched their ‘letters of friendship’ scheme. With in-person visits paused during lockdown, residents and pupils found connection through the simple act of writing.

Now, seven students each write regularly to an Abbey View resident, forming bonds built on shared stories, kindness, and mutual encouragement.
One of the most moving encounters was between student Imogen and resident David Froud. Their letters revealed a powerful connection, not only through shared interests, but through life goals. David had written about his grandson Joseph, a university student studying medicine. This turned out to be an unexpected moment of inspiration for Imogen, who had quietly hoped to pursue a career as a doctor herself.
“It’s incredibly inspiring,” Imogen wrote in reply. “It’s given me even more motivation to work hard towards my goal. I feel the same way Joseph did, like I’ve always known what I wanted to do.”

David encouraged her warmly: “I’m sure you will make a fine doctor. You have many qualities and a great deal of humanity.”
Other pen pals also enjoyed meaningful face-to-face conversations. Resident Eve Walsh Waring shared stories and artefacts with Rainie, her pen pal who, like Eve, was born in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, students Nicolette and Elinor enjoyed in-depth chats with residents Keith Piddell and Roy Carne.

Bev de Bruyn, Companionship Team Leader at Abbey View, said:“This has been such a rewarding experience for everyone involved. The friendships formed through these letters have been heartfelt and genuine. Seeing our residents and their pen pals meet in person was incredibly special.”

A sunny Saturday morning at Abbey View Care Home in Sherborne saw the garden come to life as young families gathered for a heartwarming teddy bears’ picnic with residents.
Organised as part of the home’s ongoing involvement with the intergenerational ‘Truth Be Told’ group, the event welcomed local parents and their toddlers for a morning of fun, food and shared memories. The garden was filled with laughter as bubbles floated through the air, picnic platters were enjoyed, and residents and visitors mingled across the generations.

Resident Roy Carne, one of the founding participants of Abbey View’s Truth Be Told sessions, reflected on the experience. “I’ve had the privilege to watch these little ones grow and develop into playful toddlers, each with their own unique personality. It is always so heart-warming to spend time watching their antics.”
Sheila Yates, another resident, added: “I only have grand-dogs, so being able to cuddle a small child or watch them play and engage with us is so lovely! Can we do more of these?”

The event, which featured homemade finger foods prepared by the home’s chef, proved a meaningful way to foster connection across the generations.

“It’s always a joy to see the residents light up when the children visit,” said Companionship Team Leader Bev Du Bruyne. “These kinds of events aren’t just fun – they’re incredibly valuable for wellbeing. The smiles, conversations and shared moments of joy are what make these gatherings so special.”

Abbey View plans to continue its intergenerational programme, bringing together the old and the young for more shared experiences in the months ahead.

Residents at Abbey View have been enjoying a host of uplifting sessions as part of a company-wide initiative focused on boosting interaction and engagement through activities.
Throughout April, care homes across Colten Care are placing an emphasis on bringing staff and residents together through shared experiences, encouraging all team members to take part in activities that promote wellbeing and connection.

At Abbey View, the initiative has been warmly welcomed, with staff enthusiastically joining in to support and bond with residents. During a recent ‘Mind and Body’ exercise session, Emily from the Housekeeping team was seen working one-on-one with resident Alan Davis, taking part in gentle stretching and movement.
Alan’s wife, Kate, who also observed and took part in the session, described it as “a wonderful afternoon in the sunshine having fun whilst stretching.”

Fashionistas at our sister homes across the south donned their most colourful and extravagant hats to flag the importance of research into the causes and potential cures of brain tumours.
Our sister care homes in Dorset and Hampshire marked #WearAHatDay with fun activities and community engagement in aid of the charity Brain Tumour Research.

The annual fundraiser saw residents and staff put on hats of all shapes and sizes, take part in hat-making workshops and outdo each other with ‘Royal Ascot’-type creations.

At Abbey View in Sherborne, members of the home’s art club decorated hats for an Ascot-themed tea and race afternoon.

Held on a specially marked out track in the lounge, the racing involved residents posing as jockeys and giving instructions and tips to staff members pretending to be horses.

Ordering proceedings as race caller, in army hat, was David Froud.

Fellow resident Pippa Noyes, a keen horsewoman until her late 70s, spoke of her memories of attending Ascot in years gone by after she won her race.

Pippa, whose ‘horse’ was Housekeeping Supervisor Tracey Stratton, said: “It was mayhem but a lot of fun and everyone looked oh so elegant in their head attire.”

Elsewhere, more than £120 was raised at New Forest home Woodpeckers when residents went out and about on a minibus trip through Brockenhurst swapping hats on a relay challenge.

Woodpeckers Companionship Team Leader Jane Bunker said: “Wearing a hat reminds us of those who have been personally affected by cancer. Wear a Hat Day is a great way to raise awareness and precious funds for research.”
At Avon Cliff in Bournemouth, residents and staff came together for a hat-making workshop using recycled materials ahead of a parade of the best creations judged by Home Manager Theresa Sales.

As well as brain tumour awareness, the activity supported Avon Cliff’s nominated charity of the year, Wessex Cancer Support.

At Fernhill dementia care home in Ferndown, residents worked with children at Hampreston First School in nearby Wimborne to make and display Easter bonnets.

Canford Chase in Poole combined Wear a Hat Day with a community ‘Tea & Togetherness’ afternoon and a horse racing grid game with players invited to don a fancy hat to take part.

Other Colten Care homes hosting community events for Wear a Hat Day included Newstone House in Sturminster Newton and the Winchester homes Abbott Barton and St Catherines View.

According to Brain Tumour Research, brain cancer kills more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.

Colten Care has trained 32 team members as Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) to help colleagues maintain and improve their work-life balance.
Colten Care has prioritised the training as part of a wider focus on wellbeing. Organisers say the response from participants has been highly positive and already leading to a demonstrable shift in how mental health is talked about and supported in the workplace.

With guidance from Mental Health England, Colten Care planned the training for two groups of 16 colleagues over two days.

Sessions were held in training suites at two of its dedicated dementia care homes, Linden House in Lymington and The Aldbury in Poole.

Trainees included Home Managers, Clinical Leads, Care Trainers, Healthcare Assistants, HR Managers and Maintenance and Gardening team members.
“Staff were asked if they would volunteer for the role of MHFA, and the response was great,” said wellbeing strategy lead and MHFA Barney Baxendale. “These dedicated individuals received personal certificates for their time in training and are now equipped to offer a listening ear, guidance and signposting to colleagues who may be struggling.
“The service is offered to all 2,000 of our staff completely free of charge. Now, no matter where they are located across our 21 homes or our head office, they have someone they can see in person if they need to. Phone and video calls are also an option if they prefer.

“Training session content included the many influences on mental health, what ‘first aid’ means in this context, how best to approach someone who may be struggling, the importance of listening and reassurance, and how to identify a support network.”

The sessions were delivered by external mental health training consultant Christo Hudson.

After serving in the RAF, Christo spent 12 years as a commercial pilot but found himself unemployed when the airline he worked for went into administration at the onset of the pandemic.

As well as flying, his airline career had included being a flight data monitor, a role that involved gathering insight on the behaviour of fellow pilots.

The aim was to address human factors such as stress, fatigue, relationship issues and financial worries that might affect pilots’ performance and lead to safety-critical failures.

Christo, who was in shock and questioning his role in life after redundancy, steadily found the strength to apply some of the learnings from his data monitor experience to establish a new career delivering mental health first aid and suicide prevention training to individuals and organisations.

A key focus for him is the importance of being able to share experiences, feelings and emotions.

Christo, who is based in Edinburgh, said: “I teach people about the power of human connection and that even when someone’s world may feel so dark, lonely, cold and scary, there is always hope.”
On his sessions with Colten Care specifically, he said: “It’s about equipping staff with the skills to recognise when a colleague isn’t quite themselves and confidently being able to step in with support. The uptake has been good – people are engaging, conversations are happening, and we have been seeing a real shift in how mental health is talked about and supported in the workplace.
“In a sector built on care, it’s easy to focus solely on the wellbeing of the residents, however I think that looking after those who provide that care is just as important. This initiative ensures that mental health support is woven into daily life, not just something for a crisis. By normalising these conversations, Colten Care is leading the way in making the care sector a place where staff feel valued, supported and able to ask for help when they really need it.”

As well as training and appointing MHFAs across the organisation, Colten Care’s wellbeing strategy includes encouragement for many activities at individual home level.

Initiatives so far have included dedicated ‘wellbeing weeks’ for teams, soundbath sessions, a trip to a salt-water sauna, ‘fun at work’ days and participation in February’s Time to Talk Day, a national mental health awareness campaign led by Rethink Mental Illness and Mind in partnership with the Co-op.

Colten Care team members have also received ‘wellbeing packs’ containing a guide on dealing with stress at work along with a ‘goodie bag’ of treats.

At Abbotts Barton in Winchester, Senior Nurse Joanna Sliwka welcomed receipt of her pack, saying: “It makes you feel important and shows you that the management care about their staff.”

Abbotts Barton Home Manager Dee Lovewell said: “To help embrace team wellbeing even further, we are providing a new outdoor break area and starting new slimming and walking clubs. We want all team members to feel supported and have an opportunity to contribute to their own wellbeing.”

‘Fun at work’ days, held so far at Fernhill and Brook View, have included themed lunches, party games, casual clothes days and an interactive song and dance show with visiting performer Dame Daisy that residents enjoyed too. Brook View resident Diana Pearce said after the home’s singalong with Daisy: “I’ve had the best day ever!”

Companionship Team Leader Claudia Canosa said: “It was an inclusive environment where everyone felt free to express their joy and a reminder of the power of connection among staff and residents at Brook View.”

We invited residents to rekindle practical skills learned decades ago when they were Cubs, Scouts, Brownies and Guides
Here at Abbey View we laid on a fun-filled ‘jamboree’ of knot-tying, semaphore and basic first aid, awarding badges to successful participants.

We were helped by input from the 1st Yetminster Scout Group who even made an imitation campfire for the occasion.

Sara Foster of our Companionship Team said: “Many of our residents are former Cubs, Scouts, Brownies or Guides and we thought it would be great fun to relive their days wearing a woggle.
“We sourced Scouting and Guiding memorabilia and historical photos to decorate the lounge and invited residents to try their hand at some of the activities and skills they would have practised as children such as tying knots and using semaphore to relay messages.
“We thank all our friends at 1st Yetminster for making the badges which residents were proud to ‘earn’ and wear on special sashes just like a traditional uniform.

“The campfire was a lovely focal point for us to gather round and sing some songs.

Yvonne Willway wears a scout scarf and woggle“It was all about helping residents to reminisce about their time in the Cubs, Brownies, Scouts and Guides in their younger years.”
Julie Brown was one of the residents who revived semaphore skills. She said: “It was a fantastic event. Everyone enjoyed the scouting memorabilia and the activities. It was a very happy afternoon full of smiles and laughter that brought back lots of treasured memories.”
Our Home Manager Elena Barna said: “It was brilliant to engage with a local Scout and Guide group on our very own in-house jamboree.

“As 1st Yetminster was founded way back in the 1930s, some of our residents who come from the local area have had long-standing connections with the group.

“Enabling residents to maintain and strengthen contact with the community, especially across the generations, is part and parcel of what we do here at Abbey View.”

Throughout the world, Scouts and Guides have traditionally attended large rallies or gatherings known as jamborees every four years.

The name dates from 1920 when the first such event was hosted in the UK. The 25th World Jamboree is due to be held in Korea in 2023.