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Belly dancing and art helps students engage with elderly

Bysam@schofieldcomms.com

Oct 12, 2018

A BELLY dancing display and inspirational messages were used by young volunteers to cheer up elderly care home residents.

The students from the Safe in Tees Valley National Citizenship Service (NCS) took part in activities at The Beeches Care Home, in Stockton-on-Tees.

As well as putting on entertainment, such as belly dancing, they also designed and created canvases with inspiring messages to be displayed in the home.

The group, all aged 15-to-17-year-old, also repainted the brickwork in the garden and tidied up the flower beds as part of the community engagement project.

Ellie Farmer is the activities coordinator at The Beeches Care Home, on Green Lane, and a former NCS facilitator.

She said: “The residents and staff all enjoyed watching the garden being given a makeover.

“They all said the belly dancing was great and the thoughts and sayings were lovely.”

The NCS group, which is based in The Robert Atkinson Centre, in Thornaby, had to pitch their community engagement project to a Dragon’s Den style panel from Safe in Tees Valley before being approved.

The independent community safety partnership’s NCS programme has worked with several Hill Care Group homes across Teesside previously.

Helen Wood, home manager at The Beeches Care Home, said: “We were delighted to be chosen by the Safe in Tees Valley NCS group.

“The artworks of inspirational messages will act as keepsakes for the residents to remember their visit. We look forward to seeing them again in future.”