Durham Cricket Foundation has partnered with Karbon Homes to deliver an £18,000 project to residents living in the housing association’s Retirement Living schemes across North Durham.
This community engagement project, funded through Karbon’s community grants fund, is designed to help residents over 55 get and stay active, healthy and enjoy getting to know each other.
Many of Karbon Homes’ residents have been living in isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic. But now that we can start being more social again, this project is the perfect opportunity for them to ease their way back into a more active lifestyle.
Foundation Development Officers Angela Sheridan will deliver arts and crafts sessions, while Jack Warren will lead a wide range of active cricket-themed sessions during the project.
Philip Pollard, Assistant Director of Customer and Community Engagement for Karbon Homes, said: “Many people over the age of 55 are finding it hard to keep active with the restrictions that have been in place during the Coronavirus pandemic. For many of our older residents, particularly those who have needed to shield during the past year, the pandemic has dramatically changed their daily and weekly routines which would have involved trips out and opportunities to be active and socialise.
“We know that keeping active and socialising not only benefits physical health, but also mental well-being, which is why we’re excited to partner with Durham County Cricket Foundation and provide residents with activities to help them to take small steps back to engaging together again.”
The project is being delivered in six of the Retirement Living schemes in the Derwentside area.
Recently, the residents at Shelley Court in Pelton Fell were staking their claim for a place in the Durham Cricket Squad as they enjoyed a spot of indoor cricket and glass painting.
The feedback from residents was fantastic:
“I’ve really enjoyed taking part in these activities. Due to my depression, I’m normally held up in my flat and, other than family, I don’t really see anyone else. This has given me the confidence to stop being solitary and to start doing more and I’ve loved meeting lots of really friendly people.”
“Events like this are ideal for me. I’ve got this in my calendar for every Tuesday morning and it’s great to see more and more people coming along.”
“I really look forward to taking part. The people who run the activities make us feel welcome and I love all the games that we play. They make my Tuesdays complete.”
“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping put on activities like this. I couldn’t wish for anything better.”
Over 20 weeks, there will be wide a range of active cricket-themed sessions and craft classes for the residents to enjoy.
Each session will be run by the team members from the Foundation, with multiple activities available each week designed to help promote agility, strength, stamina and positive mental health and wellbeing.
A number of Karbon Homes’ Retirement Living staff will be taken through the Foundation Support Coach qualification, so that activities can continue once the programme is complete.
Angela Sheridan, a Foundation Development Officer at Durham Cricket Foundation said: “Working with the residents has been very mutually rewarding. The effort made in glass painting has been incredible, with some gorgeous work created.”
Jack Warren, a Foundation Development Officer at the Foundation, said: “My time with the residents for our project so far has been amazing. It has been fantastic seeing them expressing themselves and encouraging others to join in, they also love their competitions! The project is going really well and I’m excited to see it move into other Karbon Homes’ properties.
“As a foundation we actively try and help those who may have been less mobile or isolated in some way over the past years by using these activities to gain a greater understanding of why we want them to be social and why we want them to be slightly more active than they might currently be, both in terms of their physical and mental wellbeing. We want to use cricket as a vehicle to support this initiative and progress the love of the game.”