Falkirk Generation Project Gets Tenants Moving

Bield Housing And Care Press releases

Charity PR photograph of those involved in The Generation Project, taken at Bield's Robertson Court

TENANTS from a Stenhousemuir retirement housing development have been keeping fit and active thanks to pupils from a local high school.

Pupils from nearby Larbert High School have been visiting Bield’s Robertson Court to hold sessions with tenants in an intergenerational initiative aimed at bridging the gap between young and older members of the community.

Run by the Tryst Community Sports Club, the initiative – termed ‘The Generation Project’ – has seen pupils use their PE classes to plan and deliver the weekly exercise sessions.

Linda McMurtrie, Retirement Housing Manager at Robertson Court, said: “The classes have been a great success and proven really popular with the tenants.

“Not only do the sessions provide tenants with a great way of keeping fit, the pupils also stay to chat afterwards.

“The tenants love talking to the kids and likewise the pupils are fascinated by some of the stories they have to share.”

PR photograph of pupils from Larbert High School and tenants from Bield's Roberston Court, who were involved in The Generation Project

The programme received funding from SportScotland’s Go Live Get Active fund, aimed at creating sports programmes for those most at risk of inactivity to improve health, wellbeing and self-esteem.

Research suggests that intergenerational activities can be mutually beneficial to both young and old people, with studies showing improved emotional and social wellbeing.

Greg Nicol, Head of Sport at Larbert High School and Tryst Community Sports Club, said: “The programme has been a great success with both residents and pupils.

“Not only have we achieved our original aim of increasing the tenant’s physical activity, the programme has also created a unique bond between younger and older members of the community.

“The pupils have been involved throughout the whole process, from lesson planning to leading the sessions, and have acted as excellent ambassadors for the school.”

Robertson Court in Stenhousemuir is a Bield development for those aged 60 and over who want to be able to retain their independence while having help on hand when needed.

Bield is a registered charity which has been providing a wide range of housing and services for around 20,000 older people across 23 local authority areas for more than 40 years.

To find out more about Bield and its developments, visit www.bield.co.uk

Do you want to share your story with the help of our Charity PR team?

Get in touch with one of our team now to discover how we can share your news across the media.

To find out what we can do for your business, phone us on 0131 561 2244 or take a few seconds to fill and submit the attached form and we’ll get straight back to you:

Contact Form