A CREATIVE project is harnessing the unifying power of poetry and art to foster intergenerational bonds, and connect children with care home residents during the coronavirus pandemic.

Anchor’s Borrage House care home in Ripon has received an array of imaginative poems and artwork created by local children to display for residents.

The artwork is lifting residents' spirits and letting them know they haven’t been forgotten about during this challenging time.

The Caring Stars project, led by the charity Intergenerational Music Making (IMM) and online platform Night Zookeeper, encouraged children to create a short rhyming poem themed around staying positive and spreading hope during lockdown, along with a piece of artwork to accompany their writing.

Winning poems and drawings were selected from hundreds of inventive entries.

These were sent to hospitals and Anchor care homes across the country, to be displayed in their very own ‘Caring Stars’ exhibitions.

Sarah Aitken, manager at Borrage House, said: “The arrival of the posters and displaying them on the walls has meant a great deal to the residents. It’s great to see such a wonderful example of inter-generational connection between the children and our residents."