Joyce makes a splash again after years out of the water

They are made possible with grants from Curious Minds North West, which aims to improve the lives of children and young people through participation in arts and culture, and Cheshire West and Chester Council Member Budgets.

Working alongside Belong’s intergenerational practice lead Sophie McKeon, the children and residents select the songs they wish to sing, including Edelweiss and Somewhere Over The Rainbow.

They have also chosen to incorporate drumming sessions involving a large gathering drum and smaller hand drums.

Members of the local community are now getting involved, with resident Shirley Heaton attending with her daughter Tracey, and the father of Amanda, who leads the sessions, also starting joining in.

Local pianist Pete Hardie, who volunteers at the community care village, has begun playing piano to accompany the singing.

A DORSET care home resident has spoken of her joy after she went swimming for the first time in years.

Joyce Ware took the dip at the Stour Connect hydrotherapy pool in Sturminster Newton and says she would love to spend more time in the water.

Supported by team members from Colten Care’s Newstone House where she lives, the former science teacher said her 45-minute private session rekindled fond memories from when she was a girl and as an adult in various locations here and overseas.

Joyce added: “I really enjoyed my time in the pool and it brought back so many memories. I didn’t want to leave.

“I could have swum for hours. If we could do this every week it would be amazing.”

In the 1920s, Joyce’s mother was a swimming coach and ensured she learned to swim from as a toddler.

As a girl she swam in Whitley Bay and, when evacuated to Keswick during the Second World War, she enjoyed dips in the Lake District.

After the war was over, she worked as a science teacher in Egypt and recalls swimming in the River Nile’s warmer waters.

Newstone House companionship team leader Karlene Horswill said: “Joyce has been a lover of swimming since she was young and continued to swim until she came to Newstone House.

“She was originally with us for respite care and then became a longer-term resident two years ago.

“During a reminiscence activity, she revealed her love of swimming as a child in Whitley Bay and in Dorset when she moved here with her family.

“Stour Connect is our home’s chosen charity this year so we got in contact with them and arranged the session specially for her.”

Joyce was also accompanied by the home’s care co-ordinator Lucy England, who joined her in the sevenmetre-by-three-metre pool.