YOUNG met old during the annual Senior Citizens’ Concert held at Kingsdown School, in Stratton, yesterday.

Around 30 Year 10 students taking the health and social studies course at the school, in Hyde Road, welcomed visitors from care homes across the area.

During the event, which lasted 90 minutes, visitors were invited to take part in singing carols, listening to readings and enjoying a festive snack.

And headteacher Wendy Conaghan said the guests had given some valuable advice on snacks for the event.

“Apparently, the visitors would have preferred biscuits to mince pies, so we will change that next year,” she said.

However, the event had been a resounding success, Mrs Conaghan added, with around 30 people visiting the school for the gathering.

“There are 15 care homes in the Stratton area and we send invites to all of them,” she said.

“The students, as part of their course, host the event, which had a quiz, carol singing and the mince pies.”

She said the event had been running for at least seven years, with prefects previously hosting the guests, before the health and social studies students took over.

And the benefits of the activity could be seen in the youngsters taking part, she said.

“It’s really interesting because some students are apprehensive beforehand, being asked to make conversation with people they don’t know,” Mrs Conaghan added.

“But by the end of the event you can see them interacting, so it is really good for them to do.”

Guests this year were impressed by the students, she said.

“One visitor asked me if the students were prefects, as they were so well mannered,” she added.

“But I told them they had not been hand-picked, they were just typical of our students.”