To coincide with Global Intergenerational Week, the partners announced that they will be unveiling a Play Garden at Hallmark’s Midford Manor care home when it opens in Bath later this year.
Stephen Burke, CEO of Hallmark Foundation, said: “We are delighted to fund London Play to create the country’s first Play Garden. It will promote intergenerational interaction in the new care home and encourage a family friendly environment where children will love visiting their older relatives. It’s a win-win for all generations and we hope it will encourage other care homes to use their outdoor space creatively.”
Shaped by future care home residents and local children, the design of the garden will be inspired in part by memories of residents’ own childhood play experiences. Children will also be involved, with a ‘Design Your Own Playground’ competition for schools running throughout this spring.
Older people’s reminiscences will be captured in an illustrated ‘Book of Midford Manor Play Memories’, to be housed within the play structure for older residents to read to younger visitors to the play garden.
It is hoped that the Midford Manor Play Garden will be the first of many such play gardens to feature in care homes across the country – bringing wide-ranging benefits to young and old alike.
“Every future Play Garden will have the imprint of childhoods past while offering a new generation a place to create their own play memories, in the company of their much-loved older family members,” said Paul Hocker, director, London Play.
For more information about this initiative please contact: Paul Hocker, director London Play: [email protected]; Stephen Burke, CEO Hallmark Foundation [email protected].
