International students bring festive cheer to Bournemouth care home residents
Students from Bournemouth University International College have bridged the generations – and the nations – to share seasonal cheer with residents of a care home.
Nine visitors including learners and lecturers of different nationalities travelled from the Lansdowne-based college to Avon Cliff in Bournemouth.
It was an ideal face-to-face opportunity to discuss how festive traditions in the UK compare to countries represented in the group such as Spain, Egypt and Ukraine.
The visit was a return meeting after the college hosted a party of Avon Cliff residents for a multicultural celebration on campus in May 2024.
Language and Project Tutor Katixa Rojo de la Hoz kicked off the afternoon at Avon Cliff with a presentation about Christmas customs in Spain.
“This led to a whole group discussion among residents and students about the traditions they hold dear,” explained Elise Woolnough, Avon Cliff’s Companionship Team Leader. “The students had made Christmas cards for the residents with international greetings inside which was a perfect way to break the ice.
“The afternoon was filled with flowing conversation between visitors in their early twenties and our residents who go all the way up to the age of 100. Pictures of hometowns and families were exchanged.
“We finished off the afternoon with a quiz all about worldwide Christmas traditions in which the residents and students worked together in teams.”
Avon Cliff resident Sheila Keast said: “The visit was wonderful. It was great to see the students at our home after we went to visit them earlier in the year. All the students were very interesting and it is always great to hear how university works now in the modern day.”
As well as Sheila, residents who spent time with the visiting students were Dotty Dixon, Edie Crowley, Julia Averill, Ethel Wise, Margaret Day, Richard Lake and Ray Paice.