Kettering school pupils choose name for care home's new cafe

L-R: Rebecca Evans, home manager, Kyan Yarnell, Emily Henderson (competition winner), Callum Austin and Brambleside’s headteacher Mr Brown.

A new cafe has opened at a Kettering care home after pupils at Brambleside Primary School took part in a competition to name it.

Avery Park Care Home in Rockingham Road built the cafe in their memory building, which cares for people with dementia.

They wanted it to be a place where residents feel safe and at home, where they can sit with their families to have a coffee, a slice of cake and relax.

But they needed a name for the cafe and asked Brambleside pupils for help - receiving more than 500 entries from pupils aged seven to 11 along with ideas of how to decorate the cafe to suit the name and theme.

And residents chose Emily Henderson's suggestion of 'Bluebirds and Bluebells' as the winner, inviting her along to officially open the cafe on September 17.

Home manager Rebecca Evans said: “At Avery Healthcare building relationships with the local community is important to our residents and their wellbeing, so to be able to work together with Brambleside Primary School, especially after the last 18 months has been wonderful.

"All the entries we received from the children were amazing and some very funny. The children have wonderfully creative minds.

"All entries were passed onto a committee of residents who picked the winning name ‘Bluebirds and Bluebells’. The winning entry was from Emily, who we invited to Avery Park to officially open the cafe for our residents and relatives.

"In 2nd place was Callum and 3rd place Kyan who also came along with headteacher Mr Brown.

"The residents were overjoyed to see children’s smiles within the home. We look forward to welcoming them back to Avery Park hopefully in the not-too-distant future.”

The three Brambleside winners were also awarded with prizes and enjoyed some refreshments - even getting to see the luxury on-site cinema and enjoy the pick and mix sweets available to residents.

Brambleside Primary School headteacher Drew Brown said: “'We would like to thank the staff at Avery Park for providing the children with the opportunity to name the cafe.

"It was a pleasure to make a brief visit to the facility and meet some of the staff and residents.

"The children were so pleased to see how the new name 'Bluebirds and Bluebells' has been added to the cafe and I'm sure the residents will have a great time enjoying their new surroundings."