The two St Saviour’s schools in Bath are proud to be firmly rooted in their wider community and an example of this is the participation of Year 3 and 4 children in the Archie Project, an exciting intergenerational dementia awareness initiative.
Each week, the pupils at St Saviour’s engage with residents of Oriel Lodge, a nearby care home, to build connections, share stories and gain a deeper understanding of dementia.
The Archie Project, supported by Reminiscence Learning, provides the pupils with workshops that teach them about the basic facts of dementia and how they can better support loved ones affected by the condition. Using a children’s book about a red and yellow scarecrow named Archie, the pupils learn how to help people with dementia navigate their environment.
“It is really interesting to learn facts like why Archie is red and yellow,” said Evelyn, a Year 4 pupil at St Saviour’s. “This is because these are the last colours to go in the ageing eye. These colours can be used in the home to help a person with dementia to find rooms or door handles.”
After the workshops, a group of St Saviour’s pupils visit Oriel Lodge each week to engage in activities, sing songs, and share stories with the residents. The pupils and residents have forged meaningful connections through these visits, as evidenced by the positive feedback.
“It was really fun when I went,” said Sydney, another pupil at St Saviour’s. “There were lots of games to play. It was interesting learning about other people’s lives.”
“Anna taught me how to do puzzles really quickly,” added Beau from Year 3. “She was really good at them. I liked playing games with her.“
Cheryl Merrett, the lead of the Archie Project at St Saviour’s, has witnessed the profound impact of this initiative over the years. “It has been exciting to relaunch our Archie Project. We are very proud of the impact this project has had over the last few years since we became a ‘Dementia Friendly School’ in 2018. It is very rewarding for our pupils and the residents of Oriel Lodge.
“We have also received compliments from family members of the residents and former pupils who remember the project as a highlight of their time at St Saviour’s.”
Head of School, Sophie Hunt, added, “By bridging the gap between generations and breaking down the stigma surrounding dementia, the pupils at St Saviours are making a lasting difference in their community and cultivate empathy and understanding among the next generation enabling our vision ‘Every child values their voice for success in life and the community’ to be lived in a meaningful and purposeful way.”
If you would like to find out more about the Archie Project please click here.
