College Spans the Generations

• 
• 
• 

27 January 2010

Following on from recent successes, Skillbuild students at Coleg Llandrillo Rhyl organised another intergenerational event, which involved inviting a number of local residents aged between 60-100 to spend a morning with the young students discussing how the meaning of Christmas and its traditions had changed over recent generations.

The group of Skillbuild students got the chance to exchange views with older adults as part of a new Police initiative, providing 'Getting-to-know you' workshops across North Wales. The students were joined by members of the RSVP (Retired & Senior Volunteers’ Project) and representatives from Denbighshire County Council’s Social Services department.

The underlying goal of the workshop is to encourage all the residents to get to know each other and make further efforts to build neighbourly relationships based on mutual understanding and trust. The session encouraged the two groups to socialise, exchange thoughts and engage in a selection of activities and aimed to change perceptions the age groups may have of each other. The Community Safety Partnership is promoting the sessions under the title ‘Working together to make our community safer’.

The day began with the students giving a presentation on what their course involves, before hosting a Christmas quiz and a raffle. They then began a ‘True Meaning of Christmas’ debate, followed by team building activities and a carol service.

“The importance of working with both younger and older members of our community is of paramount importance," said Skillbuild Tutor Carys Guy. “We aim to change the misconceptions and stereotypes that sometimes exist between different generations, whilst having fun!”