Congratulations to Menzieshill House, Highly Commended at GWT's Excellence Awards

Generations Working Together recently presented a Highly Commended certificate to Menzieshill House for their work in ‘Enabling Inclusive Communities’, one of our Excellence Award categories this year. This theme recognises that intergenerational connection requires inclusion and respect for differences in identity and lived experience. We highlighted projects and initiatives that made particular efforts to challenge ageism and promote age-friendly diversity and inclusion in communities.

The staff at Menzieshill House run a lively, person-centric activity programme throughout the year, focused on boosting their residents’ wellbeing and reducing social isolation. They recognise that intergenerational approaches can play a crucial role in achieving these outcomes, while also benefiting the younger people involved. When restrictions allow, two nursery groups visit every week, with the children and residents engaging together in storytelling, singing, playing games, and doing arts and crafts. Primary pupils also visit every week, getting to know the residents and finding out how games, toys, and technology have changed over the years. Two pupils from the local secondary school also spend time with individual residents to form crucial social bonds. During the height of the pandemic, the primary and secondary pupils became pen pals with some of the residents and also socialised via online video platforms.

When Generations Working Together presented the certificate on the sunny afternoon of Friday 22nd April, we were delighted to meet many of the participants who’ve been involved in the activities, including young people from the local nursery, primary school, secondary school, and football club, as well as some of the residents and their families. This was the first time they’d all had a chance to get together since the pandemic – the excitement in the air was palpable!

One of the care home residents said of the young people: ‘They’re lovely. They all have their own idiosyncrasies and personalities – I love getting to know them. They take me right back to when I was that age.’

Congratulations again to the staff, volunteers, and participants involved in the activities at Menzieshill House. We look forward to seeing what you do next!