Fun and games break down age barriers in Staffordshire

Wednesday 5th October 2011

Fun and games brought young and old people together in Staffordshire to prove that age is not a barrier.

A Games4All event saw around 200 older and younger people join in activities together at Penkridge to learn from each other and dispel age stereotypes.

The evening, on Friday, September 30, saw residents enjoying activities spanning the generations ranging from Wii computer games to crown green bowling, at Horsefair Park, Bellbrook.

Older residents got tips on texting and other features on mobile phones whilst they also joined in games such as Giant Jenga, Connect 4, boulles and knitting with younger people.

The Village Impact Partnership team, which includes representatives from Staffordshire Police, South Staffordshire Housing Association, Staffordshire Youth Service, the Beth Johnson Foundation and South Staffordshire District Council Leisure Services, organised the event.

PCSO Andy Poxon, from South Staffordshire Local Policing Team, said: "The event went really well as young and old people enjoyed themselves in a safe and fun atmosphere.

"We hope to build on the success of the Games4All as we continue to work together to make our communities safer."

Neighbourhood management officer at South Staffordshire Housing Association Tracey Griffiths said: "It was great to see so many people of different ages coming together and learning from each other.

"We really hope that this event and the activities will help improve community cohesion and people overcome traditional age barriers."

Photo captions:

Games 4 All3: From left, 7-year-old Matthew Hodgkins, 11-year-old Jack Stanton and Ivan Owen from Penkridge Bowling Club bring the generations together to play boulles.

Posted by 0 for South Staffordshire Housing Association