Pupils from school between Leamington and Warwick team up with the London 2012 Olympic poet to create work with retirement village residents

Pupils from a school between Leamington and Warwick recently teamed up with the official London 2012 Olympic poet to create work with retired residents.
Year 4 pupils Rita and Rohini working with residents from the Austin Heath retirement village. Photo suppliedYear 4 pupils Rita and Rohini working with residents from the Austin Heath retirement village. Photo supplied
Year 4 pupils Rita and Rohini working with residents from the Austin Heath retirement village. Photo supplied

Inspired Villages, which operates the Heathcote-based Austin Heath retirement village, recently launched its ‘Words of Wisdom’, a campaign with a poetry workshop hosted by poet and spoken word artist Lemm Sissay OBE, known for his works as the official 2012 London Olympic Poet; aiming to further strengthen the bond between grandparents and the younger generation.

Lemn brought together the over 65s from Austin Heath and pupils from Heathcote Primary School, to encourage different generations to talk about their experiences of issues including isolation and vulnerability, as well as sharing memories.

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Lemn Sissay OBE said: “Poetry is such an important way of conveying and remembering thoughts, emotions, and key moments in life, which can often be insightful to others.

"The older generation have so much to offer when it comes to life experiences, especially for children, to provide a refreshing perspective on some of life’s most complex issues.

"Combined, this is a force of nature which gives us the most powerful poetry.”

Jamie Bunce, CEO of Inspired Villages, added: “Intergenerational connectivity is vital in reducing loneliness across all ages and there is so much the older and younger generations can also learn from each other, which is why we ran the Words of Wisdom campaign.

"The poetry workshop with Lemn has helped demonstrate the value of intergenerational conversations, as well as build a sense of community between Austin Heath and the surrounding Warwick Gates area.”

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