Exeter care home residents teach nursery children the beauty of gardening

A group of residents at RMBI Care Co. Home Cadogan Court, in Exeter, have taught children at West Exe Nursery School how to sow seeds in preparation for the growing season. The Home arranged a video call to connect both sides so that residents could share their knowledge with the pupils, who had received various seed packets from the care home. 

Resident Mary Skipworth, aged 96, taught the children how to sow sunflower and pumpkin seeds as well as runner beans. Then she told them her secret: “These are quite easy to take care of as long as you keep them watered. They are fun to grow!” 

During the video call, Katharine Pringle, Nursery Lead Teacher at West Exe Nursery School, prompted the children to show the residents what they had been planting. The children ran out into their garden and reappeared, holding up some flower pots to the camera. Resident Paula Anderson, aged 89, was excited to learn that some children helped their grandmothers in their gardens.

Residents at Cadogan Court and children at West Exe Nursery School used to visit one another regularly before the pandemic. However, determined not to let the lockdown restrictions cut off this intergenerational link, the Home and the school started to arrange a series of video calls to keep both sides connected.

Emma Allan, Activities Coordinator at Cadogan Court, said: “It’s wonderful to see the different generations learning from each other and sharing experiences. Being with the children lifts our residents’ spirits and allows them to be playful.”

RMBI Home Cadogan Court, in Exeter, is run by RMBI Care Co., part of the Masonic Charitable Foundation.The Home is currently able to safely welcome new residents. For more information, please visit: http://www.rmbi.org.uk/