Baking together: bringing generations closer in Lawley

From sharing baking skills and treasured memories to supporting local community groups, partnerships are helping people of all ages feel connected in Lawley.

“We’re not teaching them to cook, we’re helping them remember.” These words from Katie at Heartleys Tearoom capture the heart of a special day spent baking with residents at two of Lawley’s residential and retirement communities.

Katie is a familiar face in Lawley, regularly joining us during the school holidays to deliver cooking classes for younger residents through her nursery and Katie’s Kids Kitchen. So, when she approached us about taking her baking sessions into local residential and care homes, we were delighted to help make it happen.

Katie explained that these sessions are about much more than learning a recipe. Many older people have spent years cooking and baking for their families, and some may have been accomplished bakers. However, as people get older or their health changes, preparing food independently can become more difficult.

For those living with memory problems or dementia, familiar ingredients, smells, and activities can also help bring treasured memories to the surface. With this in mind, we set out to bring people together through a shared love of baking.

A morning of memories at Telford Hall

Our first stop was Telford Hall, a residential care and nursing home, where we joined Activities Coordinator Maria and a group of residents for a morning of scone-making.

Katie arrived with her equipment and ingredients, and everyone was encouraged to get involved, from mixing the dough to sharing stories about cooking and family life. Pauline, who is 100 years old, chatted throughout the session as she mixed the ingredients in the bowl and clearly enjoyed every moment.

The familiar sights, smells and textures of baking created opportunities for conversation, laughter and reminiscing. After the scones came out of the oven, everyone gathered for afternoon tea in the home’s beautifully decorated activity room, enjoying the results of their efforts together.

Sharing stories at Lawley Bank Court

In the afternoon, we headed to Lawley Bank Court, an assisted living facility in Lawley, for another baking workshop.

This time, a few gentlemen joined the group, and conversations flowed as residents mixed the ingredients and shared their own experiences of cooking and baking.

Joyce and Becky, Retirement Communities Manager at Lawley Bank Court, told us the session had been a positive experience. Residents said they “really enjoyed it, they had a great time and would love to do more baking”.

It was wonderful to see people coming together, sharing experiences and enjoying something familiar in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

Turning connections into community opportunities

The benefits of partnership working can reach well beyond a single activity. By connecting local organisations and residents, we can help create opportunities for people to get involved, share ideas and make the most of what their community has to offer.

Following the visit, we also heard about the Book Club at Lawley Bank Court and its plans to improve the books available to residents. The group has since applied to the Eileen Hewer Community Fund for a Small Grant to help purchase books and audiobooks for its resident library.

Our new Small Grants scheme offers local groups and projects the opportunity to apply for funding of up to £300, alongside larger grants of up to £2,000 per year. The scheme aims to help community-led ideas get off the ground and make a positive difference to local people.

Katie summed up the day perfectly:
“It was another completely wonderful day, I feel very lucky to share their stories and to cook with them”

Could your idea make a difference in Lawley?

Whether you want to bring people together through activities, create opportunities for residents to connect or develop a project that benefits the local community, the Eileen Hewer Community Fund could help you take the next step.

Find out more about the Eileen Hewer Community Fund and how to apply: https://bvtlawleyvillage.org.uk/your-village/your-community/here-to-help

Together, through local partnerships and community-led ideas, we can help make Lawley a place where people of all ages feel welcome, included and connected.