A school project that sees pupils and older people spend leisure time together has won an award for the service it provides to the community.
Young and old people from Monmouthshire celebrated groups and projects which bring generations together at the Intergenerational Awards at Usk last Thursday (February 25th).
Fifteen projects were short listed for the award which honours schemes that help to bring generations together and reduce stereotyping of younger and older people.
The overall winner was Magor Church in Wales Primary School with the Magor Munchies project.
Key Stage two pupils from the Magor school attend the Magor Munchies group every month for the past two years. The project has over 30 members who are senior citizens.
Angelina Patrick, Monmouthshire County Council’s Community Focused Schools Development Officer, helped to organise the awards ceremony. She said:
“Every Christmas the children sing carols at their annual Christmas lunch. The favourite activity is playing board games together and the Munchies enjoy teaching the children card games, the Munchies take card games very seriously.
“They have made Easter flower decorations for the chapel together, the children have judged the Munchies Easter bonnet parade and they have made books together and the Munchies provide anecdotal information.
“Both the Munchies and the children spend a lot of time talking together. Both generations respect each others view points and really enjoy working and learning from one another.
“The Munchies realise that most children are polite, well mannered and not to be feared.
“The children realise that older people have lots of interesting things to say and teach.
“Above all they can and do enjoy each others company.”
Lantillio Pertholey Church in Wales Primary School, Abergavenny and Overmonnow Primary, Monmouth also won Intergenerational Awards for their knitting projects.
Members of the winning project were able to show off their dancing skills after the award ceremony along with members of all the nominated projects in an Intergenerational tea dance.
The Awards were hosted by Monmouthshire’s Community Focused Schools in partnership with the Older People’s Strategic Partnership Group.
