SBC intergenerational project

By Lynne Marshall

Student Community Focus In Jedburgh

• Garden maintenance• Volunteering at a Social Centre• Assisting at an exercise class• Assisting at a coffee morning• Walk It training

Background

• Need for volunteers to support activities for older people

• We could offer defined volunteering opportunities of interest to young people

• Involvement of different organisations• Discovering that older people do not want

activities just for old people!

How the project has worked

• Jedburgh involved only 15-20 hours per week with projects running all year.

• Peebles High School is a much larger school and so we have broken down activities into blocks

• Students volunteering hours have counted towards local challenge/Saltire awards arranged through the local Volunteer Centre.

Positive outcomes

“I love coming for the company”

What were the challenges

• Time available• Keeping students interested• Staff time• Remembering to send text messages!

Feedback• We asked students to review their years

volunteering… -Have you enjoyed the project -Was it what you expected -Has it changed your perception of older people -And if so, in what ways -What skills have you acquired -What would you change/imp

Responses

• Enjoyed/would recommend to others• More sociable than expected• Have learned gardening and social skills• They need more help than I expected• Start earlier so go on longer

Future

• Add in new schools• Look at opportunities for fourth year students• Facilitate group projects• Find more hours in the day!