SIX residents from Richmond Villages, Cheltenham have visited Deerhurst and Apperley C of E Primary School as part of Loneliness Awareness Week (June 13 to 17).
John Sidwell, 85, Jack Wilson, 85, Mike Heath, 89, Olive Martin, 94, Beryl Foulkes, 94, and Jean Haigh, 96, joined the pupils for their Fish Friday lunch to start a conversation about loneliness, not only for the elderly, but for young people too.
The visit comes after the residents were invited to watch the school choir perform at Cheltenham Festival. Upon seeing how much the children and the residents loved meeting each other, headteacher Jayne Neveu was keen to keep the line of communication open.
Deputy village manager at Richmond Villages, Cheltenham, Cheryl Tranter, said: “Our residents had a wonderful time with the pupils of Deerhurst and Apperley C of E Primary School. They really enjoyed sharing stories of their past and hearing from the pupils about their latest school projects.
“We have been invited back to watch the school production, A Midsummer Nights Dream, later on in the year, which our residents are really looking forward to.”
The initiative was launched by the Marmalade Trust in 2017 and aims to get people talking about loneliness. With mental health being a key element of the school’s curriculum, Deerhurst and Apperley school were keen to take part in Loneliness Awareness Week and to involve their wider community.
