SCHOOL CHILDREN GIVE MESSAGES OF HOPE TO CARE HOME RESIDENTS

Elderly residents at care homes in Sheffield have been delighted to receive letters and artwork from local teenagers giving them messages of support and hope during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Year 11 students from Bradfield School in Worrall wrote to the residents of 12 nursing homes across the city, including three managed by Palms Row Health Care (PRHC), on the day before their school closed along with others across the country.

The three PRHC homes, which are all based in Sheffield, have also been closed to visitors since March so the residents have been unable to see their families in person for several weeks.

Mrs Banks, Deputy Head at Bradfield School, said:

“One of our teachers, Ms Hiley, had the idea to get the students to write letters to elderly residents of care homes, whilst the Art department chose work from a GCSE Art project on images of Sheffield to share too.

“The hope was that our students would be able to do something positive for others rather than dwell on how surreal and scary the situation with COVID was. We also wanted to offer something to brighten the days of those likely to be undergoing significant isolation from their families.

“Our Year 11 prefects organised everything as their final act in school. We know our students will be delighted with how well their letters and art work have been received.”

Nicola Richards, Director of Palms Row Health Care, added:

“Our residents were extremely touched to receive kind letters from local school children. Many of them have spent their lives in Sheffield so the local-themed artwork was also deeply appreciated.

“This pandemic has been incredibly difficult for all of us but particularly for our elderly who

can often feel isolated. I can speak for our residents and our staff by saying thank you to the young people at Bradfield School and our wider community who have helped us all through these last few weeks.”