The benefits of children and the elderly having the opportunity to send time together have recently been a hot topic in the media. We have been embracing this opportunity to get to know some new friends of pre-school age with our weekly diddi dance class.
The classes started in October after Charlotte Foxley, organiser of diddi dance classes in North Essex and South Suffolk read about the changes underway at Halstead Hall and leapt at the opportunity to explore dance classes for children in a care home. Charlotte said: “It just seemed like fate – we needed a new venue and I read about the amazing changes at Halstead Hall and just knew this would be a perfect place to hold our Halstead diddi dance class. It has been a great success so far, with the class growing and old and young having a wonderful time!”
Residents have been enthusiastically joining in with the half term’s ‘disco’, playing musical instruments and even hula hooping! The toddlers have been able to enjoy the newly refurbished space at the home, and parents and carers finish off the weekly class with coffee and cake in our new coffee lounge.
The difference this intergenerational project has made to the lives of our residents is hard to put into words – the music, dance and interaction with the children brings back such happy memories for everyone and is a much looked forward to part of our week at the home now. The excitement of our weekly sessions was even captured by BBC Look East in the autumn when they came to film a segment of their evening news at Halstead Hall, much to the excitement of all those present! They captured resident Derek Neal hula-hooping with the pre-schoolers and everyone having a whale of a time!
Whilst they took a short break over Christmas, diddi dance have returned on Thursdays with a new theme of ‘Charleston’ which everyone is very much looking forward to joining in with!
