Bury St Edmunds care home resident overjoyed after meeting Culford School student pen pal for the first time

A 90-year-old care home resident was overjoyed after meeting her student pen pal for the first time.

Pat Herd, who lives at Cornwallis Court, Bury St Edmunds, began exchanging letters four years ago with Culford School student, Lucy Allum, 18.

The pen pal friendship started in the pandemic and over the last several years, the pair have exchanged birthday cards, letters, and postcards, from places Lucy has travelled to including Spain and America.

Pat has loved reading about Lucy’s journey through school, completing her GCSEs and A-Levels, as well as her plans to continue her studies at university.

She said: “I agreed to a pen pal, thinking that it wouldn’t last. This time was different and it has lasted to the great enjoyment of us both.

“Lucy is a lovely girl. She was everything I had hoped for and I really enjoyed our chats.”

After meeting Pat at Cornwallis Court for the first time, Lucy said: “As soon as I saw Pat, she held out her arms and said ‘come here baby!’”

“We instantly hit it off and chatted for over an hour. Pat has a great sense of humour so we had quite a few laughs.”

Research has shown that intergenerational activities can have a positive impact on participants, such as reducing loneliness and exclusion for both older and younger people, improving mental health, increasing mutual understanding, and addressing important issues such as ageism.

Emma Gibson, the care home’s activities coordinator, said: “I started working at Cornwallis Court during the first COVID lockdown and I knew that our residents would not be able to meet up with their families and friends.

“I asked a friend who works at Culford School to see if any of the school children would like to be pen pals with the residents, so they would feel included and part of the community.”

“It is lovely that Pat and Lucy have kept writing to each other after all this time and an initiative I am quite proud of.”