Students welcome Chinese year of the Rooster with lantern-making workshop at Brockenhurst care home

Health and Social Care students helped light up Chinese New Year for residents at Woodpeckers care home in Brockenhurst by organising a Chinese lantern-making workshop.

The two generations spent time cutting out paper shapes and turning them into decorative red and white lanterns to hang in the lounge, welcoming the year of the Rooster.

The initiative was part of a wider arts and crafts programme that aims to engage residents through therapeutic activities.

Activities Organiser at Woodpeckers, Jane Bunker, said: “We loved having the students along. Our residents really enjoyed meeting and talking with them and taking part in shared arts and crafts work.”

Importantly, the lanterns incorporated the colour red because in traditional Chinese culture it is said to bring good luck and scare off the mythical monster known as Nian.

Residents then enjoyed a Chinese-themed lunch to give the celebration added authenticity.

Brockenhurst College Learning Support Assistant, Laura Wheeler, said: “It’s just lovely coming to Woodpeckers and seeing the interaction between the generations.

“Some of our students don’t tend to spend much time with older people, so they really get a lot out of visiting

here,” she added.