Colourful start to Chinese Year of the Snake
Youngsters from Northgate Primary School in Bridgwater have been working hard to support elderly neighbours at Avalon Nursing Home to create paper lanterns and snakes for Chinese New Year.
The children are regular guests at the home, with groups of six taking it in turn so everyone can visit during the academic year.
This week was the turn of some of the Year 3 pupils from Mrs Brewer’s class.
Lisa Priddice, activities organiser at Avalon, said: “Both age groups enjoy spending time together and it’s so lovely to see them chatting and hearing them make each other laugh.
"The children having been coming to Avalon for just over a year now and they’re really making an impact on the residents living here.
“Seeing the two generations come together is wonderful.
“Since we’re just entering the Chinese Year of the Snake, there was quite a lot of discussion between them about who does and doesn’t like snakes, but old and young were mostly in agreement about how much they like Chinese food – some of which featured on today’s lunch menu.”
Because the symbols for each Chinese New Year follow a 12 yearly cycle, all the children were born later than 2013 - the last Year of the Snake – and Avalon staff discovered that none of their residents were born in years represented by the Snake either.
Lisa said: “But everyone had fun debating whether any of them embody the personality traits which Chinese tradition says the snake represents: intelligent, resourceful, and charming, but also very secretive and cautious.
“It was quite an entertaining conversation.”
Cerys Brewer said: “It’s always fun if our visits tie in with a special day: last week it was Burns Night, this week Chinese New Year and of course Valentine’s Day is coming up.
“But most of all the childen love hearing about the jobs the residents used to do, and their hobbies and interests.”
The Chinese New Year celebrations are part of a year-long programme of varied activities organised by the activities team at Avalon Nursing Home which is run by award-winning dementia care providers Camelot Care. The group also has homes in Plymouth, Wellington and Yeovil, with a fifth to open in Holsworthy this year.
