Project: To support running costs of the group
Grant: £1,000
Fund: HoB General
Movers & Shakers is a health and wellbeing initiative for older people. Participants enjoy physical and mentally stimulating activities as well as a healthy meal as a means of keeping well.
The activities aim to improve health and wellbeing, encourage sharing of knowledge or learning new skills, encourage a balanced diet, combat social isolation, and facilitate giving back to the community.
Each week members enjoy an hour long craft activity such as card making, silk painting, crochet, or artificial flower arranging, which is organised by member. There is then an a hour long fitness class including keep-fit, zumba gold or Tai Chi, which is provided by a trained fitness instructor. After this they are served a healthy light lunch which has been prepared by a volunteer.
This grant was used to cover the cost of room hire for the sessions and some of the fitness instructor’s fees.
Case study:
After a bad fall two years ago Kathy* underwent a hip replacement and pelvis repair, spending seven weeks in hospital and a further seven weeks at home recuperating.
Kathy lives alone and her family all work full-time so she became quite lonely during the day. The other members of Movers & Shakers visited her at her home, bringing craft activities with them to help keep her occupied until she had fully recovered.
When Kathy was able to leave her home she was nervous about going out without family members. As the group was local she was able to get there using a mobility aid by herself and was able to join in the craft activities and keep fit with the instructor’s guidance.
Since returning to the group since the accident Kathy has regained her confidence and mobility.
(*name changed)
Member feedback:
Over the past few years as a group we have learnt many craft techniques including card making, quilling, mosaics, iris folding, and jewellery making and we have all grown in confidence. These basic skills have enabled us to make many things that we are proud of, including gifts for the family. Having knowledge of these skills has also meant I can pass many a lonely hour at home engrossed in a project which prevents boredom and depression and I can honestly say I am a much happier person for this.
The group is a great way of making new friends, sharing experiences and expertise, not to forget our hour of keep-fit exercises which keeps us mobile and helps to prevent visits to the Doctors Surgery.
