Residents at a care home have been drumming up an African storm.
They enthusiastically whacked traditional Gambian instruments at an African drum workshop at the Penybryn care home, which is part Pendine Park care organisation, in Wrexham.
Among those who gave it a go was resident Les Llewellyn who had a “fabulous” time during the energetic drum session.
He said: “I think the African drum workshop is brilliant. It’s great to do something fun, active and energetic. I’ve absolutely loved it, it’s fantastic. It’s been a very nice afternoon.
“We do a lot of different activities at Pendine – you get the chance to do things that you’d never think to do here.
“We also play a lot of games. We go tenpin bowling, and we’ve even done crazy golf.
“We do a lot of art which I’d never really done before coming here.”
The drum workshop was led by African culture enthusiast Debbie Whittaker, 51 from Chester.
She brought along several hand-carved West African drums, called djembes, which are made using the base of a tree trunk and goat skin.
Debbie, who was a youth worker in Cheshire for 20 years, said: “I think Pendine Park is lovely. When I came here for the first time I wanted to book a place here.
“I think the staff are really lovely, and the people who live here. I think they’ve got a fantastic resource and that the residents are very well looked after. I’m looking forward to coming again.
“Everyone has been getting into the spirit of it, the staff and the residents. We’ve had a lot of happy smiling faces. The residents were pretty competitive.
“I enjoy doing the workshops it because they’re accessible for everyone. Everyone has fun and a good time, and you’ll learn a bit about another culture.
“It’s about everyone taking part and feeling confident, and getting something out of it. Music and art are things like bridge cultures, and age gaps. It’s really a way of bringing people together.
“These workshops are another way to develop people socially, and to give them confidence and self-esteem as well because I think sometimes people think that they can’t do something when really this is accessible to everybody.
“I do arts and crafts as well in the community with adults”
Pendine Park activities coordinator Gerry Humphries loved the African drum workshop.
She said: “It’s been fantastic. Everybody has been smiling, laughing, singing and making lots of noise. I’ve been drumming myself. I have to get involved in it all.
“This is something a little bit different. It’s very important to have activities like this going on. I think if you asked any of the residents they would tell you that having a change, a variety of activities is important to their everyday life.”
