WILLITON’S Little Saints baby and toddler group met with the residents of Croft House for the first in a monthly series of Story-Start sessions.

The Home-Start project aims to bridge the generation gap by reading and telling stories, singing rhymes, playing games and having fun together.

Now Home-Start is hoping more communities, organisations and volunteers will come forward to help bring more Story-Start sessions to fruition.

Usually, Little Saints gather each week in the meeting room next to Williton rectory.

But now they will cross the road to Croft House every first Tuesday of the month for a Story-Start session.

As well as keeping the older generation mindfully active, the sessions will help the children’s language development.

Croft House manager Tracey Delbridge said the age difference between residents and babies was over a century – one resident is 103! “The residents at Croft are still talking about the visit and how much they enjoyed themselves.”

Donna Marsden, Little Saints Toddler Group chairman, said: “It was a real joy to see parents and children, the team from Story-Start, staff and residents all having such a wonderful time together on the occasion of Little Saints first visit to Croft House.”

Home-Start is actively seeking other West Somerset organisations or communities that would like to take part in Story-Start sessions. They could be care homes, playgroups or villages that do not have anything in place for families with young children.

More Story-Start volunteers are needed to make commitment for a couple of hours a month.

Home-Start West Somerset manager Clare Pound said: “It doesn’t matter if Story-Start is in a hall, church, pub or care home. It’s about bringing people together, helping each other, sharing advice, talking and listening to others and building stronger communities.”