A group of primary school children made a three-day visit to residents at a care home as part of a self-made community project.

Children in Year 3 and Year 4 at Coopersale and Theydon Garnon Primary School in Epping visited Barchester Ashlar House also in Epping.

Between Wednesday, November 13 and Friday, November 15, visits were made by the pupils as part of a community project they had prepared and planned themselves.

For the children, it taught them about dementia and growing old as they listened to stories of ‘history within living memory’.

Epping Forest Guardian:

Students got to learn about dementia and draw portraits of the Barchester Ashlar House residents.

A spokesperson for Barchester Ashlar House said: “For the residents, it was a chance for them to recall and share their life experiences, as well as enjoying the company of the younger generation.

Residents who participated received a letter from individual children introducing themselves.

The children drew portraits of the pensioners who live close to St Margaret’s Hospital and wrote biographies as a keepsake for themselves and their families.

A Christmas themed session where residents will get to make cards and sing carols with the students has been organised for their upcoming visit next month.