Intergenerational Links
As described below, every year Sully Primary School aims to undertake intergenerational community projects, the purpose being to develop community links between young people and senior citizens and encourage the development of a mutual respect.
Unfortunately, due to the restrictions forced on us by Covid-19, many of our usual activities such as regular ‘Sing & Smile’ sessions with the Golden Oldies, Staying Steady Workshops held by our Year 6 pupils and Choir performances at St John the Baptist Church and their annual Christmas performance for the Sully Bridge Club have not taken place.
However, this year we have reached out to our extended community and focused our efforts on the wellbeing of the older generation. All classes were involved in writing letters and cards to the residents of local nursing and care homes. These letters and cards were so well received, this will be a regular activity for the pupils of Sully PS.
We also worked alongside Sully Community Hub to plant a Sully Village Community Garden.
- Regular ‘Sing & Smile’ intergenerational activity sessions with ‘The Golden Oldies’, a charity which provides older, perhaps sometimes vulnerable people, with monthly social events. These events allow our pupils to share their knowledge of digital technology and their interests and hobbies with the older members of our community and for them to learn about their interests and hear stories from the past.
- Annual involvement in the ‘Staying Steady’ schools project. This is an intergenerational falls-awareness and healthy ageing scheme which brings together our pupils and older adults within our community. Sessions are led by healthcare students who are trained by staff from Cardiff & Vale University Health Board and the local Public Health Team. We invite our older community members into school where the pupils deliver a presentation about how they can continue to stay safe and avoid falls as they get older.
- Our choir performs regularly throughout the year at a variety of events including singing at the Church of St John the Baptist in Sully for their Mother’s Day, Harvest and Christmas Carol Services. They also perform at the annual Sully Bridge Christmas lunch and at local community fairs and festivals throughout the year.