Students put on pamper day for the elderly

Students on courses at MidKent College invited elderly guests to take part in a day’s worth of activities at the college’s Maidstone Campus at Oakwood Park.
 
Hair and beauty students treated visitors to a range of pampering sessions including manicures and hair treatments. Flower arranging sessions were then provided by floristry students before guests were shown light mobility exercises by learners studying courses in sport.  

Once the activities were completed, guests were treated to a roast dinner fully prepared and served by the college’s hospitality and catering students - the ingredients for which had been kindly donated by catering company Caterlink.

The day’s activities gave students from across the college’s Maidstone and Medway sites a unique opportunity to engage with the elderly and learn about their experiences. Following lunch, performing arts students used all they had learned about their guests to help them devise a short piece of drama. This was then performed for the visitors’ entertainment.

“We’ve thoroughly enjoyed mixing with the older generation and sharing our skills with them” said 46 year old floristry student Annie Rust. “And it has been lovely to chat to the guests and teach them some of the things we have learned as part of our course”.

One visitor thrilled to have been invited was 90 year old Joyce Wickwar. “I came to the same event held here last year,” said the permanent resident of Mont Calm Residential Home in Bower Mount Road. “It’s not often I get the chance to be pampered these days; it’s a lovely treat for me and something I really look forward to.”

Senior activities coordinator at the Prince George Duke of Kent Court home in Chiselhurst, Sally Williams said: “This is a wonderful, positive opportunity, both for our residents and the students. There is so much bad press about young people these days. Unfortunately for some of our elderly residents, this is the only picture of young people they are ever presented with, so it has been brilliant to see the different generations mixing and getting along so well.”

Beverly Noble, head of faculty for the college’s hair and beauty courses, said: “Colleges Week is all about getting students to engage with their local communities through voluntary work and events of this kind. Today has been a great success, and demonstrates the kind of work we would like to see repeated at the college throughout the academic year.”