New program calls for the young at heart

Senior Docklands residents are invited to join an intergenerational program starting at The Hub next month.

Gowrie Harbour Family and Children’s Centre in Docklands is pioneering the program as a way of building relationships between different generations in the community.

Gowrie early years leader Kristin Falzon said the idea for the program developed after a child at the centre told staff his grandfather lived in a computer.

“His grandpa actually lives in the UK and the computer is their main source of interaction,” Ms Falzon said.

“We understand that times have changed and families are living further apart and losing their natural intergenerational composition,” she said.

Ms Falzon said Gowrie was currently searching for senior adults to take part in the intergeneration pilot program at The Hub, which will be trialled until the end of the year.

The program starts on October 3 and will involve adults and children meeting weekly for about an hour and a half at The Hub to interact and learn from each other.

“We aim for the children to build respectful, meaningful and ongoing reciprocal relationships with the seniors while developing a strong sense of belonging to their diverse community,” Ms Falzon said.

Locals interested in getting involved should contact The Hub on 8622 4822 or Gowrie Harbour Family and Children’s Centre on 8624 1000 or
[email protected]