Who’s that fellow dressed in red and yellow? It’s Jo Jingles… and he’s bringing singalong fun and games to the residents of Barley View.
Every fortnight, young and old get together to enjoy singalong fun and games, thanks to new intergenerational sessions hosted by educational company, Jo Jingles.
Sinead Kershaw, Manager at Barley View, said: “It’s lovely to see everyone – including staff – having so much fun. Residents who don’t normally participate always get involved – everyone loves it”.
Although the popular Jo Jingles sessions are originally designed for early years children, session leader Gwen decided to bring fun to the care home to get help those with dementia and bring everyone together.
Talking about the impact the sessions can have on residents, she explained: “The sessions work really well from both a social and cognitive points of view and they look forward to it every week”.
Gwen, who has been running her Jo Jingles sessions for the past eight years, continued: “They remember songs and it triggers a memory. Since we play the same songs every week, it’s helping them to remember each session”.
Each interactive session is jam packed with singing, dancing and games, taking everyone on a journey around the world through fun themed activities.
This week, they were whisked off to Jamaica, enjoying tropical themed sounds using coconut shells, before singing along to sea-themed tunes. Next time, they’re off to Mexico for some Halloween themed entertainment.
Mum-of-three Lindsay, who attended the session with her daughter, said: “We’ve been coming since these sessions began a few weeks ago and she loves it. She really looks forward to coming every week”.
Pat, a Barley View resident who loved getting involved, added: “I love the sessions, they bring back great memories of my kids when they were this age. I’ve now got nine grandchild and one great-grandchild”.
Jo Jingles have been providing fun, music and movement classes for babies and pre-schoolers nationwide since 1991. They now operate at over 700 locations throughout UK and Ireland.
To find out more about Jo Jingles sessions in Rossendale, please contact Gwen on jojinglesrossendale@aol.com
