The residents of Henley House Care Home in Ipswich shared their gardening knowledge with the local 31st/ 9th Ipswich Beavers last weekend, as the group came to visit the home to help with the gardening.
The Beavers and residents joined forces to plant bulbs for spring in the home’s grounds, and the Beavers certainly learned a thing or two about gardening from the home’s many green-thumbed residents. The beavers plan to visit again in spring to see the garden in full bloom.
Henley House has joined forces with local schools and youth groups for projects in the past, however this unfortunately came to a stop due to the pandemic. It was therefore all the more special for the Beavers to visit the home, as it marks the start of what will hopefully be some long-lasting intergenerational friendships.
One resident, Joan Marsden was full of praise for the Beavers, saying:
“I thought that the Beavers were brilliant, they all were so well behaved and knew what they were doing. The Beaver that was with me was chatting away and so helpful.
I thought that it was a good idea to come and help us with the garden and hopefully they can come back again and see what has grown.”
Another resident, Harry Downes, said:
“The children were so happy and felt at home with the residents in the care home. It was a very enjoyable experience for us. I came from a gardening family and my grandfather owned a Nursery with 6 big greenhouses, where he would sell his produce in a Greengrocers.
It was a lovely experience to get out and plant bulbs with the help of the Beavers and to see the children, enjoying themselves.”
Lyn Andrews, Administrator at Henley House, said:
“Everyone had such a great time and we have now made links between both the home and the beavers, which we hope will continue into the future.”
For more information about Henley House, please visit: https://www.greensleeves.org.uk/care-homes/henley-house-ipswich-suffolk/