Local children send 'Sunshine' letters

Assistant Headteacher, Emma Gaunt; Amelia, Year 3 student, Mayor Mohammed Zaman, Carlos, Year 3 student, Caroline Flood; care manager, Summayah; Year 3 student and Rachel Kershaw; deputy care manager

Broadfield Primary School are working with a local at home care company, to launch their community campaign, Sending Sunshine, to help bridge the intergenerational gap in the borough.

Sending Sunshine aims to bring children and the older people of the local community together by encouraging the younger generation to hand write a letter, as opposed to using mobile phones, computers or tablets to communicate via text or email.

The Year 3 pupils were joined by Home Instead’s manager, Caroline Flood, deputy care manager, Rachel Kershaw, and the Mayor of Rochdale, Mohammed Zaman.

The children wrote letters, which have since been distributed to local clients of Home Instead, with the hope of reducing the impact of social isolation and loneliness with the elderly.

The children also entered a competition by designing a Sending Sunshine logo.

The winner, Summayah, age 7, was presented with a certificate and gift voucher for Smiggle by the Mayor, as well as her design being printed onto flyers for the project.  

Assistant Headteacher, Emma Gaunt, said: “The children really enjoyed learning about the Sending Sunshine project.

“Children these days are so advanced with technology from a young age, they tend to miss out on the art of formal letter writing.

“The Year 3 children also had great fun designing the Sending Sunshine flyers. Congratulations to the winner, Summayah.”

David Bradshaw, owner of Home Instead Rochdale, said: “We hope that the newly launched community campaign, ‘Sending Sunshine’, encourages intergenerational relationships and helps to tackle loneliness with the elderly in our area.

“Our clients who have received letters from the children have all been delighted, and we hope this is just the start of many more letters.

“If you would like to participate in our community project, then please do get in touch.”