Abbey House tenant Martha O’Kane with Model School pupils, from left Hannah Kennedy and twins Miriam & Rori FitzpatrickClosing the generation gap “All in the mix”
Apex staff joined a group of sparky schoolchildren and older tenants from Abbey House in Derry / Londonderry in our new cookery suite to discover why we all “knead” a little intergenerational sharing in our lives.
With funding provided by Linking Generations NI, the Apex Living Centre played host to boys and girls from the Model Primary School’s P.5 year and later life tenants from Apex’s Abbey House.
Staff members who got to know the kids personally by volunteering in the ‘Time to Read’ programme throughout the school year – also lent a hand as the children whipped up batches of fresh pancakes, decorated shortbread and gingerbread men.
Through this simple activity of cooking together, our young and older participants found they have lots and lots to talk about.
In my day there were certain things boys wouldn’t do
Model school classroom assistant Kellie Reynolds added: “In my experience children pick things up more quickly through visual learning and getting hands-on. I think that’s why they enjoyed today so much. They learn about healthy eating as part of our health and fitness week and this was the perfect way for them to relax with the older people at the end of the reading programme.
Abbey House tenants Noreen Brady, Maureen O’Kane and Kathleen Mullan all agreed it was great to see the boys as well as the girls give a hand in the kitchen and enjoyed the laughter and chat and the noticeable sense of fun in the room. Noreen remarked, “In my day there were certain things boys wouldn’t do – I love that they all mix in together now and give a hand. It was great seeing what these lively eight-year-olds could do”.
