Tea dance in Stoke brings generations together

By Helen McCarroll, Father Hudson’s Care

On 19 March 2018, primary schoolchildren from St Peter’s Catholic Academy, Cobridge, joined older people for an afternoon of intergenerational singing and dancing.

The students visited the Hanley Young at Heart Club, run by Father Hudson’s Care (CSAN member charity), for an event inspired by Signal 1 Radio’s Don’t Dance Alone campaign. The children and older people enjoyed their time talking, singing and dancing together to live music.

This event was the brainchild of Jackie Kelsall, Family Support Worker at St Peter’s Catholic Academy, and Matt Ford, Project Co-ordinator at Young at Heart.

They were joined by Community Champions from Tesco, Hanley, who put on refreshments for the children. Tesco is a regular supporter of the Young at Heart project and were pleased to assist with this collaborative event.

Matt Ford said, “All the older people enjoyed it very much and have asked if the children can come back again. They said the children were lovely and very well mannered. I think the most enjoyable thing for me was seeing everyone in the room, old and young, mixing together and dancing. They all had smiles on their faces, which is what it’s all about.”

Young at Heart offers a range of services to combat social isolation faced by older people in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire. The Hanley group is one of four social groups held locally, with a fifth opening in April.