Residents of a Dorchester Care Home have been invited to be honourary grandparents by pupils at Sunninghill Prep School.

The children at Sunninghill have been getting to know the residents of Glencairn House Residential Care Home through a buddies scheme, and the residents have been invited to visit the school today (Monday) for a Grandparents Day.

The residents will be taking a tour of the school with their buddies and enjoying performances from the school choir and orchestra.

Earlier this year, the care home started a buddy scheme with Sunninghill Prep School to bring the generations together and develop new friendships.

A spokesperson for Glencairn House said: "The scheme has been a wonderful success, and has brought so many interesting conversations, smiles and laughs. As one of the children said, 'we laugh and have fun and talk to each other. I have the best buddy ever!'"

In February and March, pupils made weekly visits to the care home for six weeks, taking part in activities, playing games with residents and interviewing them about their lives to help them write biographies.

At the end of the six weeks, the residents were invited back to Sunninghill Prep for an afternoon tea with scones, and then later the same month, to the school's musical performance of 'Moana'.

The spokesperson added: "We know that our friendships with our buddies will continue to flourish, they have already brought so much joy to our residents over the past six months.

"As well as our Grandparents' Day treat, we are thinking of planning a boat trip in the not too distant future and we know we will all really miss our buddies when they break up for the summer holidays, but can't wait to catch up with all their news in September.

"We would like to say a very big thank you to everyone at Sunninghill Prep School who has been involved in our Buddy Scheme, it has had a wonderful and positive impact on our residents lives."