BUPA home chosen for nationwide project

BUPA's Grosvenor Park Nursing and Residential Home, in Brookfield Road, is one of 31 BUPA care homes chosen to participate in a living history project. With help from relatives and friends from the local community, homes will develop reminiscence features based on their residents' experiences.

Residents and staff from Grosvenor Park have chosen to produce a reminiscence area celebrating Bexhill as the birthplace of motor racing. The home is calling on any history enthusiasts or volunteers who may like to get involved and help residents reminisce.

Working with the reminiscence charity Age Exchange for the third year, BUPA Care Homes and BUPA Community Connections will be running the Living History project. The initiative is intended to help residents reminisce and incorporate their memories in a lasting feature at the home. Features to be produced include reminiscence areas, complete with items and memorabilia from a particular era, books of residents' memories or stories, and themed murals.

Bernie Arigho, Age Exchange director of reminiscence research and development, says: "BUPA's living history project aims to provide intellectual and social stimulation by encouraging residents to remember and discuss shared or individual experiences."

"BUPA works in over 350 locations around the country developing long term partnerships with local community groups," said Joanne Keane, BUPA's community affairs manager. "Last year BUPA teamed up with Age Exchange and a number of groups to create reminiscence features at over 30 care homes across the country. We hope people will be as eager to get involved this year."

Age Exchange is internationally recognised for its work in all fields of reminiscence. The charity aims to improve people's quality of life by emphasising the value of their memories through visual and performance arts activities, intergenerational projects, exhibitions, publications and documentary film.

If you would like to volunteer to help BUPA's Grosvenor Park with their project or if you have any items that you would like to donate please contact the home on 01424 213535 or email [email protected].