9 Jan 2017
This morning at Young At Heart Stockton we had a very busy session to welcome back the group after Christmas and New Year celebrations.
To begin with we had a visit from a lovely lady named Gill, who runs a project called ‘Sporting Chances’ in Stockton-on-Tees and is setting up some new services in the area specifically aimed at men aged 50 years and over. Sporting Chances activities include armchair exercises, walking football and gym sessions that are all supervised by suitably qualified professionals. Gill is also in the process of establishing a monthly session in Oxbridge, offering men the opportunity to take part in a range of activities that help boost mental health and wellbeing. Please watch this space for more information about upcoming Sporting Chances activities available to men aged 50+ living in Stockton-on-Tees.
Next we had a visit from our good friend Debbie from Volunteering Matters, the organisation that provides us with our amazing team of volunteers. Debbie had come to spread the word about a social morning she is arranging in February and an arts activity that will also be available to the group members in the coming months.
After our visitors had finished we didn’t have much time left so the group spent the remainder of the morning having a chat about how they would like to see the group develop in 2017 and some activities they would like to try. I look forward to making it all happen for them!
Next week we will be back on track with our regular activities.
In Thornaby, we had a very informal session to catch up after the festive break and to chat about what we want to do as a group over the coming year.
We started with our orientation exercise, with the group identifying the date, time and weather; warm and mild with a clear sky.
Prompted by the tragic news about the child who was killed by a school bully, Trish and Peter led a conversation about school days; discussing who liked school, favourite subjects and teachers, school uniforms and bullying.
In addition to this, the group identified that they would like to take part in a range of activities, both for fun and fundraising. The list included cake making, painting/paint by numbers, indoor physical games, card making, knitting, gentle exercise, dancing, bingo and sponsored walks. This is certainly going to keep me busy in 2017!
Next week is exciting for Young At Heart ULO as we launch our new service in Billingham, at the Community Hub, John Whitehead Park, The Causeway, from 1 pm until 2:30 pm.
