Benefits to playing generation game “Some of the children may not have grandparents and our volunteers provide a chance for them to mix with someone from a different background and generation.” maria hall, intergen co-ordinator Go on, get involved! Older people interested in getting involved with Intergen and sharing their skills with young people… email maria.hall@intergen.org.uk News Be young, be foolish but be happy! Project passes on older people’s skills to borough’s young learners BY JESSICA ODUBAYO ASK pensioners Vi, Christine and Sheila for some of their secrets to staying young at heart and one of their responses will probably be interacting and communicating with the younger generation. They take part in a volunteering scheme which brings older and younger people together in schools to enrich learning opportunities. As well as sharing the untapped skills and knowledge that older residents have to offer, the project helps address the problems of isolation among older people at the same time as underperformance among some pupils. The Bethnal Green based scheme Intergen works with a cluster of schools – Morpeth, Bangabandhu and Bonner – and recruits older volunteers to share skills with pupils such as reading, knitting, carom and cycling. Ben Bolt, service manager for Intergen, told East End Life how the scheme brings generations together and helps build communities. Maria Hall, a retired council officer and now co-ordinator at Intergen, is responsible for recruiting volunteers. “People who have newly retired may need a new interest to prevent boredom and isolation,” she said. “Some of the children may not have grandparents and our volunteers provide a chance for them to mix with someone from a different background and generation. “On the other hand, the volunteers gain confidence from getting out of their homes I re-live my childhood – it brings back memories of growing up.” Vi Davis, climbing above and mixing with younger people. And for those who do not have grandchildren, it gives them another outlook on life.” Vi, who listens to pupils’ reading and helps with social history projects, said volunteer- Volunteers Christine Russell and Vi Davis enjoy playtime at Bangabandhu Primary School (left and above) ing makes her feel young again. “I re-live my childhood through the children and it brings back memories of growing up,” Vi said. Sheila, a new volunteer who does not have children or grandchildren of her own, said she is happy to help pupils with their reading and if this helps them go on to further education she will feel rewarded. Peter, who volunteers at Morpeth, helped put a jazz band together at the school and Abdul Kalam regularly visits Bangabandhu to teach carom board game skills. Intergen welcomes people over 50. Email maria.hall@intergen.org.uk Would you like to run your own successful business? Becoming an Instructor of a Kumon maths and English study centre will give you the job satisfaction and control you’ve been looking for. Kumon provides support and training to Come along to our information session to find out more: Sunday 18 May - Holiday Inn London - Stratford City, London Call 0800 988 6578 or visit our website to book your place. kumon.co.uk/franchise build a successful career running your own business. 28 APRIL – 4 MAY 2014 N E W S F R O M T OWER HAMLETS COUNCIL AND YOUR COMMUNITY 7
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