A CHURCH of England primary school in Essex has entered into a partnership with a care home near by in the hope that the children can help the elderly residents.

All Saints’ C of E Primary School, Malden, has begun a project, “Up!”, where ten-year-olds from the school visit Longfield Care Home, in the same town. It is hoped that the scheme will help the children to gain confidence, as well as combat loneliness among the care home’s residents.

The manager of Longfield, Gina Copsey, said: “The atmosphere when the children visit is absolutely lovely; but what has surprised me is that, despite having dementia, many of our residents are remembering that the children have been there. They talk about the children, and what game they will bring in next.”

NHS Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group is working with Anglia Ruskin University to evaluate the project and see if anything can be learned.

Dan Doherty, the group’s director of clinical transformation, said: “We hope to show that intergenerational projects such as Up! have a profound positive impact on both young and old, helping them to live well, and changing attitudes towards them in Mid Essex and beyond.”