Pensioners' Link

For a few years now, South Hampstead has been running a pensioners' link with local care homes and day centres. Our Year 10 pupils visit the elderly weekly, and spend time chatting or playing with them.

Aims

It is important for SHHS to support the community, and for our students to be actively involved in it. The elderly feel they still have a role to play, in passing on some of their knowledge, and also feel a little less lonely. Our students forge new relationships - learning to listen, to be patient and empathic.

Impact

The impact has been tremendously positive. The relationship we have with the centres has grown, and we are furthering it by fostering new opportunities to collaborate. SHHS will for instance support Age Uk Camden in their annual fundraiser in November 2016, by participating to their concert. Residents and guests of the centres have created strong links with our school, and came to visit the school in the winter for a tea party.

Frequency

We visit each centre once a week.