A HEN-TASTIC time was had at a Thornaby care home by students from the Middlesbrough FC Foundation.
Two groups from the charity’s National Citizen Service (NCS) spent time with elderly residents at Mandale House Care Home, on Acklam Road.
The students, all aged 15-to-17, were introduced to the home’s three hens by the residents, who taught them how to handle the chickens.
One group also gave the coop a new coat of paint while the other sewed fabric hens and played games of bingo, dominoes and supersized floor Jenga.
Resident Irene Fleming, 93, who has become known as the “chicken whisperer”, captivated the students with stories from her Women’s Land Army during the Second World War.
Another resident, Marian Lawrence, 99, also told stories of her war years. She said: “I thoroughly enjoyed sharing my stories with the students. They were so well behaved.”
Louise Clements, home manager at Mandale House Care Home, said: “The students who completed the coop were overjoyed knowing how much it meant to the residents.
“They enjoyed learning about the hens needs and hearing what the residents do for them daily.
“We always enjoy welcoming the students from the MFC Foundation NCS and look forward to working with them again in future.”