Retirement village introduces ‘emotional support chickens’

A retirement village in Lancashire is spreading its wings and reaching out into new territory by welcoming a flock of chickens as part of its bid to offer a ‘person-centred approach to care’. The Lodge care home, part of Buckshaw Retirement Village near Chorley, was offered the birds by local primary school teacher Claire Harrison, following a recent chicken hatching programme at her school, St Paul’s CoE Primary School.

It’s hoped that the chickens will bring residents a number of benefits, from fostering a sense of community to reducing stress and anxiety, as well as in encouraging mental engagement, physical activity, and nostalgia.

“Caring and spending time with the chickens will be a beautiful reminder of the past for many who recall their own families keeping chickens,” says Hayley Rowson de Vares, manager at Buckshaw Retirement Village. “This project is not just about adding life to our garden, but also about reconnecting our residents with their heritage, and providing them with emotional support through the joy and serenity that comes with caring for animals.

“One of our care workers is leading a lovely chicken-naming project and organising a coop opening party, inviting everyone – residents, their relatives and staff – to embrace the theme by dressing as ‘funky chickens’. This event promises to be a memorable celebration, marking the beginning of a new chapter in our community’s life.”

Finding creative ways to bring joy into our daily lives is a surefire way to boost wellbeing, and this latest offering sounds like a squawker.

Stepping back in time can boost our wellbeing

Could living near, and preserving, local heritage sites have an impact on our wellbeing? According to new research from Historic England, that answer is a resounding ‘yes’.

In its report, Historic England sets out to examine the relationship between heritage density and life satisfaction. What they saw was that – similarly to the impact of green spaces – the presence of nearby historic places benefits residents’ quality of life, whether or not they participate in heritage activities.

It’s estimated that the overall ‘wellbeing value’ for people’s day-to-day encounters with their heritage is worth £29 billion every year in England. Using the guidance from the Treasury on measuring and quantifying the effects of policies on people’s lives in economic terms, the report also shared that, on average, your life satisfaction improves to the value of £515 a year simply from living near to heritage sites.

“People often experience emotional connections with their local heritage, yet the link between heritage and wellbeing is frequently overlooked in economics,” says Adala Leeson, head of social and economic research at Historic England. “This innovative research uses economic techniques to demonstrate that heritage is not just nice to have; it has significant, measurable impacts on our overall wellbeing.”

Interested in discovering what your local area has to offer? Head to historicengland.org.uk and search for listed buildings, battlefields, monuments, gardens, shipwrecks, and more, near you.

Father and son both ‘adopt’ a grandparent

Though loneliness in older communities is becoming increasingly prevalent, there are many charities doing remarkable things to support elderly people. One such organisation that deserves every ounce of recognition is Adopt a Grandparent.

The charity pairs socially isolated older individuals from UK care homes with volunteers worldwide, to help foster intergenerational, long-lasting connections. The aim is to alleviate feelings of loneliness through companionship. According to the charity’s website, 200,000 older people hadn’t had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month, but this innovative project is a solution that could help.

One father and son who enrolled in the scheme are 15-year-old Tristan Sue and his 48-year-old father, Jeff. Tristan was paired with 78-year-old David Abel because of their similar interests in sports, and their regular calls gave David an opportunity to laugh and smile, despite having advanced dementia. Meanwhile, Jeff, who had little contact with his own grandparents, was matched with 74-year-old Margaret Smith, which yielded conversations that were meaningful to both of them.

Speaking highly of the scheme, the founder of Adopt a Grandparent, Shaleeza Hasham, says: “The calls they’ve already had have been a great success, bringing both parties joy and companionship, and that’s what the charity is all about. I personally look forward to seeing the relationships develop with every future call.”

Inspired to make a difference? Visit adoptagrandparent.org.uk

Jacqueline Wilson revisits beloved series in new novel for adults

In news that will delight many childhood readers, Dame Jacqueline Wilson has announced her new book, Think Again, will revisit the characters of her Girls series nearly 30 years after the books were first published.
Set to be released in September 2024, her new book returns to life-long best friends Ellie, Magda, and Nadine as they navigate the highs and lows of adulthood, self-discovery, and the need to push themselves beyond their comfort zones to achieve fulfilment.

Speaking about her new book in a video on social platform X, Jacqueline Wilson said: “Still today, young women come up to me in the street to tell me how much those books meant to them, and they often ask me what happened to those characters. My new novel, Think Again, will answer those questions.”

Revisiting beloved characters and series from your childhood can provide the perfect opportunity for experiencing a little nostalgia. Creating not only a sense of support and reconnection, nostalgia can help us to feel more optimistic and inspired, boost our sense of self-esteem, and can even help us to feel more purposeful and youthful. Add in the wellbeing benefits of reading, and you have a recipe for a restorative and comforting outlet for life’s little stresses. So, will Think Again be making your to-read list?