Hens bring community together

Food for Life brings schools, nurseries, hospitals and care homes, and their surrounding communities together around the core ethos of healthy, tasty and sustainable food.

As part of the programme children from Field Lane Junior and Infants School visited residents in Linson Court Care Home to build a hen coop together.

The children heard some great stories about food and farming and the residents enjoyed sharing their experiences.

Some of the people who took part in the project feature in a short film that has been made to celebrate the project.

The Better Care programme is run by Food for Life who are running three pilot projects across the UK. Food for Life Better Care works in partnership with both Calderdale and Kirklees Public Health teams.

Katie Drewery, teacher at Field Lane Junior and Infants School, said: “My class have been involved in this project for a few months now and there have been so many surprises.

“I have seen the children listen with genuine enthusiasm to the stories of residents, even retelling them back at school and home.

“These children have been able to create a meaningful connection with someone of another age/culture which to me, is just as important as the curriculum.”

Fiona Todd, Linson Court activity co-ordinator, said: “The hens are settling in nicely, and the residents that the children spoke to were very happy to share their stories with them and delighted that the children had so many questions to ask.

“More residents have been to have a look at the chickens and said what a lovely idea it is.”