KIND-HEARTED primary school pupils took part in an exciting project in Cirencester this week.

Stratton C of E Primary School has been collaborating with the local library and non-profit organisation The Churn Project in a community initiative which aims to bring children and people living with dementia and their carers through books and art.

Over the last few of months, Stratton pupils have been busy reading The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett in class and have produced an array art-work inspired by the classic text.

This week they got the opportunity to read aloud, present their artwork and discuss the book at The Churn Project’s Memory Café, a group that runs twice a month on the first and third Monday of the month at Ashcroft Church in Cirencester.

After the pupils' presentation the group happily worked together on some crafts and exchanged flowers and seed gifts.

Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard: Stratton Primary School pupil reading Stratton Primary School pupil reading (Image: Barbara Cartwright)

Barbara Cartwright, reading lead at Stratton Primary School, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for our children to share the joy of reading across generations.

“We were incredibly keen to be part of the development of this project because it supports us in building links within the community and developing an awareness and understanding of dementia in our young people.”

Parent Mrs Halliday said: "It brought a tear to my eye.

“My daughter thoroughly enjoyed her visit to The Churn Memory Café.

"She met some really interesting people, one who reminded her of her grandad and another who was telling her all about going to Deer Park when it was a girls’ school in the war. 

"This is a super project for both the children and the elderly, I hope they got as much from it as my daughter did.”

Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard: Pupil Amy with a rose at the Memory Café in Cirencester Pupil Amy with a rose at the Memory Café in Cirencester (Image: Barbara Cartwright)

Parent and BBC News Editor of Radio Wiltshire Carly Appleby said: “The project is a great community initiative which will be hugely beneficial to the children of Stratton School and to those who attend the Memory Cafe

"Reminiscing, art, reading and music can also be really beneficial to people with memory loss. 

"The children will learn so much from this experience and it will help them to understand more about those living with dementia”  

Volunteer school librarian Mike Redfern said: “It was a pleasure to watch the generations interact over the literary work of Frances Hodgson Burnett at the Churn Project Memory Café on Monday.

“It was clear to see the joy when they talked about the Secret Garden together and the memories it brought back of people and places to both young and old.

"It filled us all with delight and maybe new friendships were made that day.”