Move FM Regional news

Kids and oldies get together for good times in Portland

Oct 31, 2018

PORTLAND, Central West, NSW, Australia – Some of the oldest and the youngest of current generations came together this week for an intergenerational event at Portland.

Hosted by the Portland Tabulam Health Centre in partnership with Communities & Kids – LINC and Lithgow City Council on Monday, the event provided a space for children and their parents to actively engage with Tabulam’s aged residents, supported by centre staff.

“This is a very worthwhile project and I’d like to thank the Department of Family and Community Services for awarding a $16,000 grant to trial this project,” Mayor of Lithgow Ray Thompson said Wednesday.

“I’d also like to thank the project partners, Communities & Kids at LINC and Portland Tabulam Health Centre for their professionalism and commitment to positive ageing and enhancing social inclusion in our community.”

“It was wonderful to see how the children and residents were drawn to each other and participated in activities sometimes entirely intuitively, without needing much or any conversation,” Mila Blofield, Divisional Therapist at Portland Tabulam Health Centre said Wednesday.

“I’m extremely proud of how smooth and well-run the session was. I’d like to thank Lydia Commins and Victoria Cini from Communities & Kids for setting up such a superb play space,” she added. “The smiles and interactions between children and residents was such a pleasure to see.”

The Intergenerational Playgroup at the Portland Tabulam Health Centre is a pilot project and is scheduled to be held every Monday during term four in 2018, and term one in 2019. The pilot is aimed at enabling the project team to try new approaches to enhancing social connectedness and wellbeing.

 

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