In the run up to Earth Day, a care home in Frome has participated in a newly launched environmental initiative, bringing together local schoolchildren and residents for a day of litter picking.

Care UK's Rossetti House, on Welshmill Lane, recently invited children from St Louis Catholic Primary School and the Frome Litter Warriors to join residents as they took part in Generations of Change, an intergenerational initiative that has been launched to unite older and younger people in a shared mission of environmental stewardship. 

The new Care UK Generations of Change programme aims to harness the wisdom of older members of society and the fresh perspectives of children during hands-on activities linked to biodiversity, climate change and sustainable gardening, creating opportunities for a fulfilling knowledge exchange that will benefit the planet.  

To do their bit, the Rossetti House team and residents worked with the youngsters to litter pick along the river at Welshmill in Frome, to clean up the local area and sort out rubbish from recycling.

Aligned with school curriculums, this will be the first of many Generations of Change projects at Rossetti House, bringing a unique bidirectional learning model into the home that allows residents to mentor children on traditional conservation practices while children share modern perspectives on sustainable living during their shared environmental projects.

Beyond environmental education, this initiative aims to combat loneliness in older people by fostering meaningful connections that promote a sense of purpose, enriching the lives of both generations as they work together towards a more sustainable future.

Care UK has also created downloadable packs with resources for teachers and groups, including fun, interactive activities to help facilitate intergenerational lessons, with the educational packs covering topics from biodiversity to food sustainability, climate change and recycling.

Phil Vale, Home Manager at Rossetti House, said: "We were thrilled to see the children and residents so engaged in the litter picking and the difference in the way the riverbank looked by the end of the afternoon was so rewarding.

"The Generations of Change initiative allows residents and children to learn from one another and share knowledge in a fulfilling way – and it's great to see it coming to life. We'd like to thank St Louis Catholic Primary School and the Frome Litter Warriors for joining us in our mission to help the planet!"

For more information about Care UK's Generations of Change, and to download the free resources, visit www.careuk.com/generations-of-change.

In 2024, Care UK secured official accreditation for the high standards it used to measure corporate greenhouse gas emissions, an important milestone in its journey of reducing carbon emissions and achieving net zero by 2040. Care UK continues to work towards having at least one Sustainability Champion in each of their 160+ homes and Generations of Change complements the organisation's ESG values and dedication to sustainability, community and intergenerational relationships.

More than 99% of Care UK's general waste was diverted from landfill last year, alongside the reduction of unnecessary pharmaceutical waste, and investments continue to be made in home upgrades such as environmentally friendly LED lighting and salary sacrifice schemes to encourage team members to cycle or switch to electric vehicles.

Rossetti House provides full time residential, dementia and nursing care in a luxury setting, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, the home incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies, and has its very own cinema, hair and beauty salon and café. The building has been designed to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.

For more information on Rossetti House, please call Customer Relations Manager Helen Cross on 01373 887 988, or email [email protected].

Further information can be found online at: careuk.com/rossetti-house