A SERIES OF photographs featuring friendships forged between older people and their hens will be unveiled at an exhibition in the North-East.

Dublin-based photographer Mark Henderson was commissioned to produce a series on the HenPower project - revealing the relationships between older people in care settings and the hens they look after.

The photographs show the hens and their owners getting up to some surprising activities including afternoon tea, reading the newspaper, down the pub or relaxing on a chaise-lounge.

The photographs will be on view at an exhibition at the Bewicks Gallery in Gateshead Civic Centre from Wednesday, February 26.

Mr Henderson, who is originally from Hartlepool, said: “This was a really joyful commission for me to undertake.

“The older people certainly love their hens and they have become a big part of their everyday lives.

“I wanted to capture the fun element of the project as it was clear that the hens enriched the lives of the older people.

"There was a lot of laughter and a lot of clucking while I was taking the photographs.”

HenPower was set up by the charity Equal Arts to help improve the health and well-being of older people by helping them to look after hens in older peoples’ care settings.

The project specifically targets older men, by involving them in a hands-on capacity in the raising and rearing of chickens at the homes where they live.

The ‘Hensioners’ are fully responsible in the day-to-day care of the hens, feeding and cleaning them as well as collecting the eggs.