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Volunteering not just for the older generation
Intergenerational Wii Sports Initiative
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It is not everyday you get to see people who are the same age as your Grandparent's and older, keeping fit with modern technology but that what Autumn Ward is getting to do with the residents at Roseanna Resthome.
Bright and bubbly 14 year old Autumn Ward, recently started her Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award at Napier Girls' High School and to complete this she needed to do community service. Being internet savy as youth are today, she hoped on the computer to find out what was on offer at Volunteering Hawkes Bay. Catching her eye was an opportunity to take part in an Intergenerational Wii Sports Initiative. It is a new initiative where by teaming youth with older generations and giving them a new skill to learn it is hoped that the age gap can be bridged and negative stereotypes diminished whilst the two will gain a better appreciation and understanding for each other. It also is designed to help with the older generations physical mobilty, fitness, isolation and mental abilties such as memory.
It certainly seems to be working. Autumn is thoroughly enjoying spending time with the residents at Roseanna Resthome and looks forward to going there each week. In a role reversal situation she is able to take her knowledge and teach it to people older than herself. She does admit that you have to have patience for this type of volunteering as learning a new skill can take awhile. Each week she talks to the residents to find out what sort of games they would like to play and finds something suitable for everybody. At the moment the residents favourite game is golf, with one resident joking that while he was no Tiger Wood he was getting pretty good at the game. Another said that crosswords just don't cut anymore and he wanted to buy a Nitendo Wii for his room so he can play it all the time.
When I went in to interview Autumn the thing that struck me the most was the room was continuously filled with laughter and you can see how genuinely they were all enjoying playing Nitendo Wii. For Autumn volunteering has been a great experience and she has enjoyed it more than she thought she would. She loves getting to know the residents and hearing their stories and believes that this initivate is a great way to break down barriers between the ages as they have both gotten the chance to see a different side of each other. "It is a really fun way for youth to get involved."
To find more volunteering opportunities like this click here.
