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Care home residents have been busy painting and decorating pebbles for children to find.
The pebbles were decorated by ten residents at Valley View care home in Cefn Hengoed as part of the King’s Coronation celebrations.
The idea was inspired by Hengoed Rocks, a community initiative set up by Rhiannon Stone in 2019.
The scheme involves residents decorating rocks and hiding them in the community for children to find.
Menna Whatberts, wellbeing lead at the care home, said residents wanted to do something for the community as part of the Big Help Out.
What is the Big Help Out?
The Big Help Out is a voluntary initiative supported by volunteer organisations from across the UK, such as the Scouts and the Royal Voluntary Service.
The aim is to raise awareness of volunteering and give more people the chance to volunteer in their communities.
Visit the Big Help Out website for more information.
Menna said: “Residents were asked if they would like to take part [in the Big Help Out]. It was a resounding yes, so we got to thinking about what we could do to help.”
She explained that the care home has a strong relationship with both Derwendeg Primary and Hengoed Primary, with pupils from both schools visiting the home regularly.
The pupils play games with the residents and read to them.
“Our residents love spending time with the children,” said Menna, “so when it came to how our residents could volunteer, it was the children they thought of first.
“We mentioned that it was hard getting children outside these days and off their computers, phones, consoles and tablets.
“The residents decided that it would be nice to paint some pebbles for the children to hunt and find in the area. They know this is a popular activity for local children after a workshop we did back in December with Rhiannon Stone of Hengoed Rocks.”
She continued: “Intergenerational connections are so important for both the young and the not so young. We are so grateful to both schools for coming and spending time here, so as a thank you, our residents have taken part in The Big Help Out by painting some pebbles for the children to find.”
Some of the painted pebbles included designs inspired by the union flag, medals, nature and more.
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