According to GUS data, Polish society is ageing at a fast pace. Nowadays, seniors account for over one fifth of all inhabitants of our country. Such a proportion can also be observed in our hometown Wałbrzych. In our work we can often observe the problem of loneliness among the elderly. In our previous project we noticed the impact that individuals aged 60+ and children and youths from social care institutions can have on one another. We saw that young people strongly missed relations filled with love and understanding, while elderly people could feel needed during joint activities.
We can see high need for continuing such activities which is why we will organise a cycle of workshops for young people aged 11-19 from social care centres and foster families, for their caregivers, tutors and for seniors. Participants will practise communication skills, including active listening, paraphrasing, giving feedback, educating, the use of non-discriminatory language in daily life. Workshops will help overcome barriers to speaking in public.
We will also run dance workshops for everyone. One of the tasks will consist in creating the move and sound alphabet to stimulate imagination and creativity. Then we will organise a dance festival presenting the outcomes of these workshops. We will also organise eco picnics combined with environmental education classes and cleaning up the neighbourhood, inviting the local community to join in.