‘Amazing connections’ as care home residents meet teenage pen pals face to face

Dorset teenagers came face to face for the first time with care home residents in their 80s and 90s who have been their school’s pen pals for the past five years.

The encounter was the culmination of a letter-writing initiative between students at Sherborne Girls School and Abbey View in the town.

Like other Colten Care homes, Abbey View has always welcomed pupil visits from various schools in its local area.

During Covid, when visiting opportunities became constrained, a ‘letters of friendship’ idea was agreed between the home and Sherborne Girls.

Correspondence began to be exchanged and at one point there were more than a dozen Abbey View residents taking part.

Now, seven students each write regularly to a designated resident.

The face-to-face visit prompted fascinating conversations, none more inspiring than that between resident David Froud and pen pal Imogen.

In her initial letters to David, Imogen had discussed studying specific subjects for her A levels but had not explicitly referred to her dream of becoming a doctor.

In one reply, David revealed over just a few lines that his grandson Joseph is studying at university and aims to be a doctor, a message that inadvertently gave Imogen great encouragement to move forward with her own career ambitions.

A return letter from her evidenced how David had effectively mentored her after explaining that Joseph had wanted from a young age to enter medicine.

Imogen wrote: “It’s incredibly inspiring and it has given me even more motivation to work hard towards my own goal of becoming a doctor. It’s interesting Joseph knew his path from an early age, as I feel the same.”

Advising that she would have to work hard to pass the exams, David went on to say to Imogen: “I am sure you will make a fine doctor, as you have many qualities and a great deal of humanity.”

With Imogen on the visit to Abbey View were fellow students Nicolette, Rainie and Elinor.

Where possible, ‘writing duos’ are teamed up based on common interests.

Following the correspondence between Rainie and Abbey View resident Eve Walsh Waring, the pair, who were both born in Hong Kong, took the opportunity to discuss some artefacts Eve has collected over her lifetime relating to their shared birth region.

There were also engaging conversations between students Nicolette and Elinor and Abbey View residents Keith Piddell and Roy Carne respectively.

Abbey View Companionship Team Leader Bev de Bruyn extended her thanks to Sherborne Girls’ Head of Outreach and Community Liaison Amanda Macintosh who helped broker the partnership between the school and the care home.

Bev said: “This has been such a worthwhile activity that has brought benefits to pen pals across the generations. There have been some amazing connections made. It was a real joy to see the writers meet each other. We’re absolutely thrilled to have partnered with Sherborne Girls to make this happen.”