Over the 2018/19 academic year, several Habs boys have been visiting Wilsmere Care Home in Hertfordshire as part of their School and Community Service (SCS).
Wilsmere Care Home provides nursing care to those with a variety of degenerative diseases, specialising in dementia but providing first-class care to those with different backgrounds and symptoms.
Habs students visited the care home every Friday and had the opportunity to meet and interact with many of the residents. They were able to build relationships with both staff and residents, soon speaking to them about everyday life and their pasts. One of the boys said:
“The residents enjoyed talking about their families and what they did when they were younger. Sometimes we played music for them to provide some entertainment.”
The staff at Wilsmere House kindly surprised the visiting students with a party on their final Friday to say ‘thank you’ for all their hard work. The boys appreciated the show of gratitude from the care home staff, not expecting such a lovely gesture. The Habs students spoke highly of the staff that had welcomed them to the care home. One boy said:
“I was always happy to see the hard work and diligence of the staff members at Wilsmere House. They were all friendly, patient and caring which helped them form good friendships with the residents. It makes the residents feel safer and more at ease.”
Reflecting on their time at Wilsmere House, the boys further acknowledged that the opportunity allowed them to develop new and current skills, all while enjoying the company of the staff and residents. One of the boys said:
“Interacting with the people at Wilsmere helped me with my social skills. I have become more confident with speaking to people that I don’t know.”
SCS provides students at Habs with great opportunities beyond the classroom that they can benefit from within different charity and community locations. The boys enjoy the work that they do for SCS and learn new skills.
The School would like to thank all the staff at Wilsmere House for the fantastic opportunity they have provided the students with and for the party provided during their last week. The boys thoroughly enjoyed every moment spent with both staff and residents.