Bringing Generations Together at St Olaf Care Home

At St Olaf Care Home in Nairn, music is doing far more than filling a room. It is building friendships, breaking down barriers, and bringing generations together in a way that feels both joyful and deeply meaningful.

In partnership with HighLife Highland and the charity Mikeysline, St Olaf Care Home has become part of the Bee The Change intergenerational choir project, an initiative that brings together nursery children, school pupils, teenagers, care home residents, and community leaders through shared rehearsals and performances.

The project was featured recently on STV News, highlighting the powerful impact of intergenerational work in care settings and showcasing St Olaf Care Home as a place where community connection sits at the heart of everyday life.

St Olaf Care Home in Nairn, A Home Rooted in Community

St Olaf Care Home has long been recognised for providing high-quality, compassionate care to older people in Nairn and the surrounding Highland area. Beyond meeting physical and clinical needs, the home emphasises emotional well-being, meaningful activity, and staying connected to the wider community.

Loneliness and social isolation can be significant challenges for older people, particularly those living in care homes. At the same time, younger generations often have limited opportunities to interact meaningfully with older people outside their own families.

The intergenerational choir at St Olaf Care Home addresses both challenges by creating a shared space where people of all ages come together with a common purpose.

What Is the Bee The Change Intergenerational Choir?

The Bee The Change project, led by HighLife Highland and supported by Mikeysline, focuses on building leadership, empathy, and inclusion through community-based activity.

The intergenerational choir brings together participants aged from four to ninety-eight, including:

• Nursery children
• Primary school pupils
• Teenagers and youth leaders
• Residents from St Olaf Care Home in Nairn
• Community partners and charities

Through regular rehearsals and performances, participants build confidence, form relationships, and gain a deeper understanding of one another’s lives and experiences.

A recent Christmas assembly at Auldearn Primary School near Nairn saw the choir take centre stage. The performance brought together young children, teenagers, and care home residents in a celebration that captured the attention of the local community and viewers across the Highlands through STV News coverage.

The Importance of Intergenerational Work in Care Homes

Intergenerational projects are increasingly recognised as a vital part of modern, person-centred care. For care homes, they offer opportunities to enrich daily life, strengthen wellbeing, and maintain meaningful links with the local area.

Benefits for Residents at St Olaf Care Home

Residents involved in the choir experience a wide range of benefits, including:

• Improved mood and emotional well-being
• Increased confidence and engagement
• Memory stimulation through music and familiar songs
• A sense of purpose and anticipation around rehearsals and performances
• Opportunities to connect with younger generations

Music plays a particularly important role. Singing can unlock memories, encourage movement, and create moments of joy, even for people living with dementia. When shared with children and young people, these benefits are often amplified.

As one resident shared during the project, “Oh, I love it. I enjoy watching them all. They’re all so different.”

Positive Impact on Children and Young People

The benefits of the intergenerational choir extend beyond care home residents. Children and young people gain valuable experiences that support their personal development and emotional intelligence.

For younger participants, the project helps to:

• Build empathy and understanding of ageing.
• Reduce fear or misconceptions about care homes.
• Improve communication skills and confidence.
• Encourage teamwork and leadership.
• Create positive memories linked to community involvement.

Teenagers involved through HighLife Highland’s leadership programmes play an active role in supporting rehearsals and performances. This gives them responsibility while reinforcing the importance of inclusion and community connection.

One young participant summed up the experience as “really nice” and highlighted how enjoyable it was to spend time with people of different ages.

HighLife Highland, Supporting Intergenerational Leadership

HighLife Highland plays a central role in delivering the Bee The Change project. Through its youth and leadership programmes, it supports teenagers to engage confidently with both younger children and older adults.

The intergenerational nature of the project allows young leaders to develop skills that extend far beyond the choir, including communication, empathy, organisation, and confidence.

As highlighted during the STV News feature, the project also helps address common barriers, such as:

• Hesitation among teenagers about entering care homes
• Limited interaction between very young children and older adults
• Stereotypes around ageing and residential care

By creating positive shared experiences, these barriers naturally break down.

Mikeysline, Promoting Wellbeing Through Connection

Mikeysline’s involvement in the intergenerational choir reflects its wider commitment to improving mental health and emotional well-being across the Highlands.

The charity understands that connection, belonging, and purpose are essential to wellbeing at every stage of life. Through its support of the Bee The Change project, Mikeysline helps promote:

• Reduced loneliness and isolation
• Stronger social connections
• Open conversations across generations
• Community-based approaches to wellbeing

For residents at St Olaf Care Home, this support reinforces the importance of staying connected and feeling valued within the wider community.

Challenging Perceptions of Care Homes

One of the most powerful aspects of the intergenerational choir is its challenge to outdated perceptions of care homes.

Rather than being closed or isolated spaces, St Olaf Care Home is shown as a welcoming environment that actively engages with schools, charities, and local organisations.

Residents are not passive recipients of entertainment. They are performers, mentors, and collaborators who contribute meaningfully to the project.

The recent STV News coverage helped share this message with a wider audience, demonstrating how care homes can play a positive and active role in community life.

From Festive Performances to Year-Round Connection

While the choir’s recent performances focused on Christmas, plans are to continue the project throughout 2026 and beyond.

Future performances and regular rehearsals will ensure that the relationships built through the choir continue to grow. This long-term approach is key to the success of intergenerational work, as it allows trust, familiarity, and confidence to develop naturally.

For St Olaf Care Home in Nairn, this means embedding intergenerational connection into everyday life rather than treating it as a one-off event.

What This Means for Families Looking for a Care Home in Nairn

For families considering a care home in Nairn, initiatives like the intergenerational choir offer reassurance that life at St Olaf Care Home is rich, engaging, and community-focused.

The project demonstrates:

• A strong commitment to emotional and social well-being
• Meaningful partnerships with local schools and charities
• Opportunities for residents to remain active and connected
• A care environment that values joy, creativity, and inclusion

Choosing a care home is about more than facilities. It is about finding a place where residents can continue to live fulfilling lives, supported by genuine human connections.

A Positive Model for Intergenerational Care in the Highlands

The success of the intergenerational choir at St Olaf Care Home highlights what can be achieved when care providers, charities, and community organisations work together.

It offers a strong example of:

• Intergenerational work in residential care
• Community-embedded care homes
• Supporting wellbeing through creative activity
• Reducing loneliness across all age groups

As Scotland’s population continues to age, projects like this will become increasingly important in shaping the future of care.

Looking Ahead, Building a More Connected Community

The intergenerational choir at St Olaf Care Home is about more than music. It is about connection, understanding, and shared experience.

By bringing together people aged four to ninety-eight, the project shows that everyone has something to offer and something to gain. With continued support from HighLife Highland and Mikeysline, and growing interest following its feature on STV News, the choir is set to remain a positive force within the Nairn community for years to come.

At St Olaf Care Home, care is not just about support. It is about belonging, purpose, and bringing generations together.