A Halstead care home has teamed up with nursery children to celebrate the Harvest Festival.

Care UK's Colne View, in Dame Mary Walk, welcomed children from The Park Pre-School to join in with the celebrations.

The residents and pupils spent the day learning about the origins of the festival, its relevance in today's society, and the importance of preserving this tradition.

A special scarecrow trail was also set up for the children to explore, with prizes awarded to those who took part.

The care home has also partnered with Braintree Area Foodbank to provide a drop-off point for donations in their reception area until the end of October.

Monica Boldeata, the home manager at Colne View, said: "It was fantastic to welcome children from The Park Pre-School to Colne View to celebrate the annual Harvest Festival tradition and explore its importance today.

"Harvest Festival is a day in the calendar where we can reflect and show gratitude for the food that we have while serving as an opportunity to connect with others, regardless of age or background, and celebrate the cultural diversity which helps make Halstead a great place to call home.

"At Colne View, we are always looking for ways to give back and support our community and local charities, which is why we’re delighted to be partnering with Braintree Area Foodbank and launching our first-ever foodbank drop-off point.

"In these challenging times, we know many people may be struggling, and with Christmas fast approaching, it’s more important than ever to support foodbanks which provide a vital lifeline for many members of our local community.

"We’d encourage those who have unwanted or unused items to come and visit Colne View and support us to help those in need."

The Harvest Festival is an annual celebration of the time when crops are gathered from the fields, offering people a chance to reflect on and show gratitude for the food they have.

Colne View Care Home provides a range of services including residential care, residential dementia care and respite care.

To find out more about Care UK’s Harvest Festival, visit careuk.com/harvest-festival.