Friends for Life with Pen Pal Project

Friendships for life are starting to be made in our Faversham care home, Lady Dane Farmhouse.

A new pen pals scheme has been set up between Lady Dane and Cooksditch House, another local care home. Both the homes have signed up to this wonderful project to help build a field of friendships with other residents.

Some of our residents don’t have friends or family so making these connections will have a positive impact on their lives and emotional wellbeing. As well as making fantastic friendships and enhancing social skills, Care Home Manager Claire Dante shared with us the abundance of skills it enables the residents to acquire.

Claire Dante, said: “This pen pals scheme allows our residents to develop their social skills and help them maintain and improve their ability to read, write and draw. In addition to this the residents have also gained confidence and has also resulted in improved hand eye coordination. This has already made such a difference to our residents and how they interact with others.”

The first batch of letters were taken to the local post box by the residents themselves and they are eagerly waiting for replies to be sent back.

It is such an exciting project for everyone involved. The staff at Lady Dane Farmhouse have enjoyed helping the residents with this new venture. The care homes involved are even looking into joint event days for all, which will be such an exciting touch for the residents to meet face to face.”

If you’d like to help our residents with their writing skills, why not send them a Christmas card this year as part of our Christmas Card Appeal. Send your festive cards to:

Christmas Card Appeal

Strode Park Foundation

Strode Park House, Lower Herne Road,

Herne, Kent

CT6 7NE

And if you’d like to receive a reply, please include your postal address and our carers will assist our residents in sending some back. Writing cards and sending them aids our service users with their independence.