Winnie the storytelling hero
This year, in libraries throughout the borough, The Together Project’s ‘We Are Friends’ brought under 5’s, their parents/ guardians, and older residents of Waltham Forest together through intergenerational storytelling and singing songs.
Human connection
"We Are Friends" addresses the isolation and loneliness that so many of us have experienced, provides a fun way for children and parents/guardians to link up with older generations and celebrates the simple, restorative power of human connection to help spread joy and reduce loneliness.
Winnie
Meet Winnie, a care home resident who attended one of the free ‘We are Friends’ sessions, our storytelling hero! She bravely volunteered in the sessions to read to the children each week.
Winnie would captivate everyone. Here’s what some had to say:
"Just a quick note to say, my daughter and I attended today's session and we absolutely loved story-time with Winnie - the smiles on the children's faces as well as Winnie's said it all. Winnie said she'd spent the weekend preparing for the story, and you could see how proud she was and how having that purpose had brought her such joy." - Parent/guardian
“Winnie and a few of the Ivy Grove residents went to the ‘We are friends’ stories and rhymes sessions at Higham Hill Library. Winnie read to the children ‘The Lion within’. There was so much joy and laughter enjoyed by all.” - Ivy Grove Care Home
“For our final celebratory session, the wonderful Winnie came down again from a local care home to share a story about Road Safety with the children. She even dressed as a lollipop person and certainly had the families entertained! Thank you so much Winnie, you are wonderful!”
Sue Grace, Chit-Chat-Pitter-Pat
“We know that Winnie loved these visits to the children and will forever cherish these memories.” - Ivy Grove Care Home
Winnie's Impact
Winnie's stories didn't just entertain; they spread joy, creating a bond across generations, connecting older residents in the community with young families, fostering relationships through shared experiences.
Help us to spread joy
We want to spread our life-changing work far and wide - and we need your help. As a charity, donations are a really important source of income for us so we’re fundraising to support our vital work that's changing lives across the UK.