From gardening socials to a new marketing volunteer joining the team, here are our latest volunteering updates

Volunteering with Alive

As part of National Volunteer’s Week, we celebrated our first volunteer social since the beginning of lockdown in 2020! Many of our Social and Therapeutic Horticulture volunteers came together at our dementia-friendly allotment in Brentry to share food, drink and stories and bask in the sun.

The social started off with a Social and Therapeutic Horticulture training session for those interested in learning more about the research behind salutogenic environments, the therapeutic benefits of gardening, and how to best support people living with dementia through nature-based activities. The volunteers had the chance to peruse some books on the topics, from Dr Qing’s groundbreaking work on shirin yoku (forest bathing) to Jamie Lerner’s innovative suggestions in Urban Acupuncture, in which he shows how interventions such as Alive’s dementia-friendly allotment can make cities more liveable. As the afternoon progressed, we were visited by the neighbour’s chicken, who kept everyone entertained.

With the easing of COVID-restrictions, many new volunteers have joined our team and help us make our Social and Therapeutic Horticulture sessions a success. With their skills and energy, they help us in engaging our participants in a meaningful and joyful way and support us in transforming our community gardening spaces. We are very grateful for having such lovely, talented individuals support our mission.

Further, we had our first three volunteers Eve, Steph and Peter join our Dementia Meeting Centre team in Clevedon. It was a great time for them to join as we celebrated the Queen’s jubilee! We are looking forward to many more happy sessions at our three Dementia Meeting Centres in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

Lastly, we welcome our new, fantastic marketing volunteer Isabella to the team. With her breadth of knowledge and many years of experience, she has already been such a big help to us.

We thank everyone who is volunteering with us – together, we can make a real difference in older people’s lives. Nadja can be contacted on volunteer@aliveactivities.org for any volunteer-related queries.

The Evergreens group paid homage to Her Majesty with a celebration fit for a Queen

With themed decorations, cakes decorated with pictures of the Queen and a huge smorgasbord of delicious food, the celebrations took place with grand pomp. Some of the members even went the extra mile by dressing in the colours of the flag and a ‘best dressed’ winner was announced.

To honour the Queen, the group’s lead, Joana, gave a speech thanking the Queen and all the members stood up to sing the National Anthem.

We would like to congratulate the Queen on her Platinum Jubilee!

Clevedon Dementia Meeting Centre attendees’ daughter shares heartwarming words of thanks

The daughter of two of our Meeting Centre attendees’ recently sent our North Somerset Meeting Centre Manager, Anne Ellis, some lovely words of thanks for the positive impact the sessions have made on her father John, who has dementia and his wife, who is his primary carer.

Mags, the daughter of Meeting Centre member John, pictured together above, has kindly allowed us to share the email she wrote Anne here:

Hello Anne,
I’ve been meaning to email you for a while. I wanted to say thank you for your dementia group in Clevedon at Christ church. The group has been fantastic for my dad who has a big smile on his face every time I pick him up. I didn’t expect what’s it’s done for my mum. She is dad’s main career. The group is her “golden” moment of the week. She’s able to talk to others in the same boat without the feeling of guilt that can be there when talking to non careers or family. She has the support of your team, who are so kind, supportive and fun. She knows dads happy there and safe, that she can also enjoy others company without having to be thinking of dads needs constantly.

The activities are fantastic. I picked dad up after a chocolate workshop and he informed me of what they’d been doing with his usual smile. But explained that he didn’t like chocolate. His lips hands and nose all had chocolate on them.

If there are ever ways that I can help, please let me know. This group is so important for my dad mum and us as a family.

Thank you so much for making it so special.

Warm wishes Mags, Carl and Molly

To find out more about how to join any of our meeting centres in North Somerset, Bristol or South Gloucestershire, please contact meetingcentres@aliveactivities.org for more information or call the office on 0117 377 4756.

We are so pleased to announce that on the 4th of March 2021, we won two national awards at the Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards held at The Grand Hotel in Birmingham. The awards, organised by Care Management Matters and developed in conjunction with the National Care Forum, celebrates the hard work, dedication, innovation and excellence of those working in the not-for-profit sector who are making a positive impact on the lives of those in care. We have shown ourselves as an example of one such organisation going above the fray to make a positive difference.

These milestone recognitions come on the back of the tremendously impactful work we have been doing since 2010 and in particular, over the pandemic. The “Dementia Care Award” celebrates services improving the lives of people living with dementia and their families. For this award, we chose to put forward our dementia-friendly allotment, Bristol’s first and only, set up in the early part of the first lockdown. The allotment has welcomed hundreds of older people, their carers and families, since lockdown restrictions eased, including those living with dementia in the community. This has enabled them to take part in supported gardening activities, meet new people, learn new skills, be active and socialise with others in the community and share gardening knowledge. The allotment has allowed participants to undertake gardening tasks supported by volunteers, and take pride in growing flowers, fruit and vegetables, whilst also having the opportunity to build new friendships and support networks, retain/regain a sense of personal identity and gain a sense of purpose. This is in line with our vision to help build a stronger community for older people with dementia in North Bristol.

Since the pandemic hit, we have worked tirelessly on developing our digital strategy to facilitate easier access for older people and those living with dementia, and their carers. One big move in this direction has been the development of a dementia-friendly video platform called Alive On Demand. The “Technology Award” is in recognition of these efforts, which resulted in the creation of this innovative technology. Alive On Demand is a video-streaming platform with over 200 unique videos and has, since its launch under six months ago, reached close to 1000 older people and carers. The platform was designed with activities staff, care staff, carers and loved ones in mind to help them better engage and spark conversation with older people and learn more about individual and group interests.

The awards were presented by Angela Rippon CBE, who remarked that the judges appreciated the innovative use of technology to engage older people with dementia and were impressed by the breadth of unique content available on Alive On Demand’s platform. On the presentation of the “Dementia Care” award for the allotment, she said that they “loves the way it is person-centred and listens to the opinions and needs of the attendees and that it reaches people of multiple cultures.” She also added that it was very important to celebrate carers and the work that charities do to support the care industry and for those in the industry to know that they aren’t forgotten.

Our CEO Isobel Jones said, “I’m incredibly proud of my team and am grateful for this recognition. The team have gone above and beyond to come up with truly innovative solutions that are responsive to peoples’ needs. As a small, independent charity, winning these two awards is a testament to the hard work and passion we share in improving the lives of older people. This will only empower us to achieve more and continue making a positive difference.”

We are also excited to announce that we have been nominated as a finalist in the Bristol Life Awards “Charity of The Year” category. We have been nominated alongside some fantastic local organisations who are all making an amazing difference in Bristol. Whether we win or not, we already feel like winners to have had this recognition at all. We’re looking forward to getting glammed up for the awards night on 18th May! Good luck to all finalists!

For Dementia Action Week, Alive and Brace are running a webinar on the benefits of community gardening for people living with dementia.

Alive Activities’ community gardening team will be hosting a free webinar from Bristol’s first dementia-friendly allotment on Thursday 19th May. We’ll be sharing ways to connect through nature-based activity and documenting the powerful impact the project has had on the lives of participants and those around them.

Helen Foster-Collins, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Exeter, will also be with us. Helen will be presenting the learning she has made from her engagement with the allotment, which helped inform her research into better understanding the benefits of community gardening projects for people living with dementia.

Alive’s Meeting Centre project lead Louise Spencer will then share an update on their pioneering work. She will also touch on how the team will be incorporating gardening to benefit attendees.

There will be time for a Q&A and signposting to practitioners in the field.

Booking link:

Some fun reasons to get involved with volunteering for us

We recently took part in this year’s Get Growing Trail. Organised by Bristol Food Network, the Get Growing Trail represents a unique opportunity for people to glimpse behind the usually closed doors of 22 of the city’s community gardens, farms and green spaces.

We had an incredible time when our allotment opened to the public as part of Bristol Food Network’s Get Growing Trail. There was a constant stream of visitors and not only did we make some great new connections, but we also reconnected with lots of old friends! On the day we teamed up with Alive’s #OneGoodTurn project and ran a miniature garden workshop for children. We’re looking forward to taking some of the gardens into care homes very soon. Do check out more of the photos from the day here. 

We’d also like to thank all the wonderful new volunteers who’ve recently started supporting our gardening sessions, both at the allotment and our Lawrence Weston Community Garden. They make a huge difference to the lives of our participants, and if this quote from someone who’s just started volunteering with us is anything to go by they, find the experience very positive themselves: 

“I just wanted to say thank you again for such an enjoyable afternoon volunteering with you. I had a lovely time engaging with the residents and the others who attended the session, and it was so rewarding to do some meaningful gardening tasks with them.” 

If you’d like to find out more about volunteering with Alive, please have a look at our volunteering opportunities here.

As members of the Alive Lawrence Weston Community Gardening Group can’t meet up together in person at the moment, we have launched a teleconference group to connect them for a garden-themed group call.

For the past few years, the group had run in Blaise Weston Court, meeting weekly for accessible gardening and socialising. Since we can’t see each other at the moment, members were offered a group chat in addition to their weekly befriending calls from the facilitator and everyone jumped at the chance. “It would be revitalising,” said one member of the group, while another commented that “It would make me feel less cut off.”

We began on Monday 8th Feb for an RSPB Birdwatch themed chat. After catching up as a group for the first time in nearly a year, we discussed the birds we had seen whilst doing the birdwatch from our windows over the previous weekend. One group member then offered to read some poems about birds he had written, and a group decision to talk about spring next time was agreed upon.

This Monday (15th Feb), we talked about spring flowers and what we could start growing on our windowsills ready for when we can meet as a group again, as “It’s nice to look ahead”. We did a spring flowers quiz and planned next week to share recipes with fruit and veg we can grow ourselves to inspire each other to eat more healthily and adventurously! One member said, “It’s lovely to hear all your voices here talking with me”, and another “It is good to keep in touch.”

We will read poems, share sightings of plants seen on walks and tips for growing our own, and most importantly, share these ideas as a group weekly until we can meet in person again.

With what we learn from this group call, Alive will be developing a garden-themed teleconference chat room that will be open to the public to help connect people through nature.

We hope to reintroduce our face-to-face sessions as soon as COVID-19 government guidelines allow and are working hard on making these safe.

If you would like to register interest for when this does open up you can contact Alive on 0117 377 4756 or info@activities.org.

Following the challenges of COVID-19, Alive were thrilled to restart our intergenerational activities again, in October this year.

There has been a lot of creative thinking, a different approach and some learning along the way.

Alive have been running intergenerational activity sessions, linking schools and care homes in Bristol, since 2012. Our current Access All Ages project, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, began expanding our intergenerational work into Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Hampshire in 2019. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, these partnerships had to sadly suspend their activity sessions in March. However, with a bit of help from technology, we have successfully been able to start delivery of activity sessions connecting care home residents with schools again this term. 

Through consultations with our participants, we have found a flexible approach of using live online activity sessions over Zoom, or practical hands-on activities, has allowed care home staff to reconnect with this project, and with their partnered school. Residents and pupils are now able to see each other on-screen, share their experiences, show paintings, play games and just have a lot of fun again!

Online sessions have not been suitable for all care homes, so instead the residents and pupils are doing hands-on practical activities such as arts and crafts, to share with each other. Activities this term have included making joint murals for Remembrance Day, writing letters and making Christmas cards. 

The use of online sharing platforms, such as Seesaw, has also been a new addition to this project. Seesaw allows schools and care homes to communicate in-between sessions, by securely sending messages, photos or videos. During lockdown some schools started using these platforms to share classwork, so being able to use them in this project has been a really positive addition, and something to continue going forward.

We have learnt so much from adapting this project to meet the restrictions of the pandemic and we continue to react to ever changing circumstances. But seeing the positive reactions of the pupils and residents has been amazing. With increased social isolation due to lockdown, ensuring these relationships continue is more important than ever and we look forward to growing those connections further in 2021. 

“The session was wonderful. All the children were so happy to reconnect with the home and had lots of fun, they haven’t stopped talking about it. You’ve been in our hearts and our prayers throughout lockdown and we’ve really missed seeing everyone.” St Peter’s Primary, partnered with Avalon Residential Home

For more information about the Access All Ages project, please contact the Project Manager at becky@aliveactivities.org or call our office on 0117 377 4756. 

Alive’s amazing CEO, Isobel Jones, was invited to chat all things tech with the wonderful Hilary Woodhead, NAPA’s Executive Director.

We have always seen the benefits of using technology in care homes and now, more than ever, these are invaluable tools to keep older people connected to their families.

It’s important to mention how hard care staff have been working to adapt during these times. Here at Alive, we have also been constantly trialling and updating new practices to be able to continue to offer sessions and training, for both residents and staff of care homes alike. For us, this has meant trying out sessions on online platforms.

But it hasn’t come without challenges… we have had to overcome lots of problems for these meetings to continue. A lot of homes have struggled to get online. There have been difficulties with accessing wifi in older buildings with thick walls, staff not having the knowledge or experience with technology, sessions being harder to access for anyone cognitively impaired, the cost of devices and adaptors and cables and connections, the list goes on…but we have found that we can overcome most of these problems with a little bit of training. We have been offering tech training which you can contact us directly about or check out the detailed notes available from our resource library.

Alive believe that technology can be an invaluable tool for improving the quality of life for older people in care.  Of course it depends how it is used, but it helps us to get to know those we care for and personalise their engagement and activity. The care industry must move with the amazing resources at our finger tips. 

It doesn’t need to be complicated tech; It can be as simple as headphones and an mp3 player. The incredible video, that recently went viral, of the former prima ballerina, Marta C Gonzalez who was living with Alzeimer’s before she died last year, hightlights how music can stir memory and emotion. This example of the dancer, while unable to access movement in the bottom part of her body, remembering strong and delicate movement with her arms and showing emotion on her face, is a truly moving and remarkable site to withold.

Tech will never replace person centred interaction and during these times we have noticed how much we miss this physical engagement and seeing people face to face. However, iPads are a library of information, that we can tailor to individuals. We can access videos, talks, podcasts, pictures and communication platforms relevant to each personal taste and needs. We can really use this tool to respond to people’s stories, saving specific files in order to customise the experience. The main benefit to using this media is having it all at your finger tips and the speed to search on the spot.

There are loads of new technonlogies that can make life easier for people living with cognitive impairment, for example voice recognition components such as Alexa and Siri can be paired with other devices to play music, video or radio and can also be used to set reminders for people living with memory loss and confusion.

You don’t have to have the most expensive tech to benefit from these advances. Even access to a radio tuned into a favourite channel can offer nostalgia and engagement for an individual.

You can watch Isobel’s interesting chat here. If you wish to contact us about anything discussed please email info@aliveactivities.org or call 0117 377 4756.

In August Alive Activities received funding from The National Lottery Communities Fund, the Department of Sport, Media and Culture and the Dunhill Medical trust to run an intergenerational social action project across East and South Bristol as part of Care Home Friends and Neighbours: Intergenerational Linking.

The project works to link up older people living in care homes with younger people between the ages of 5 and 14. A key focus of this work will be to promote social action across the generations, empowering both younger and older people to have a positive impact on their environment and the community.

How to get involved

Each group or volunteer wanting to be involved will be linked up with a local care home. Alive will help care home residents and young people exchange stories and share experiences of lockdown. The project will help forge new connections by inviting participants to perform ‘good turns’ for each other and boost each other’s wellbeing.

With Christmas fast approaching and a second lockdown in full swing our focus will be on maintaining community connections and solidarity despite the challenges of covid-19.

Below are of activities that care homes, youth groups, schools, families and volunteers have been invited to participate in as part of One Good Turn.

If you are interested in participating in any aspect of the project as a group, home or individual please contact Harriet on harriet@aliveactivities.org.

How can you help?

Wellbeing boxes  Volunteers and participants can make up wellbeing boxes, wrapped up and decorated. Boxes might include paintings, treasure found out on a walk, hand cream, letters from younger people, lavender bags, messages of support, seed to plant, poetry books, sea shells, friendship bracelets etc. Wellbeing boxes will then be given to residents who do not have many visitors or family to deliver Christmas presents.

Jar of Joy Participants can fill a jam jar of joy for others in their community. This involves writing message of hope and support for others to show them they are being thought about during this difficult time. It can include pictures, messages, seeds to plant, puzzles, pictures of the participant (drawn or photographed), sea shells, objects from nature etc. These will then be passed on from one generation to another in a joy jar exchange.

Carol concerts Families and individuals are invited to walk along to a carehome carpark and sing a song or two for care home residents. Alternatively please record yourselves, friends and family singing a carol and send it to project staff at Alive Activities (harriet@aliveactivities.org) these will be shared with older people who may not be able to get out at present or receive visitors due to restrictions.

Record a special song or a poem Young people are invited to record themselves and their friends singing a song requested by a resident. It may be a first dance wedding song or a significant song from their youth. Song requests can be passed on to project staff who will hold a list of songs. If you wish to make a request or record a song please contact Harriet.

Read a book or a poem to a younger child or older participant: If you are at a care home whereby the residents are interested in performing a ‘good turn’ we can pair older people up with a younger person to listen to an audiobook together, read a story or watch a short film. iPads can be provided for this activity and Alive will help to organise along with families and/or staff. Alternatively you may wish to read a short storm, poem or chapter of a book to an older person who may be having trouble with their sight.

Create a hamper for a foodbank This is for residents who want to volunteer themselves or younger volunteers or groups who may want to help with delivery. Shoeboxes, hampers, materials and food can always be provided by Alive if additional budget is needed. Care home residents can then decorate and compile the boxes/ hampers them themselves. They may want to write a personal message for those receiving the food. A Christmas message perhaps or a message of hope and support. Young volunteers will then arrive to collect the packages from staff and deliver them to foodbanks by foot or by bike. Volunteers will take photos along their delivery journey to share with the older people to let them know their package has arrived.

Become a pen pal or offer a regular befriending phone call Throughout lockdown many older people living in care have not had the opportunities to go out into their community or receive visitors. Having to shield has resulted in some older people feeling ‘set apart’ or separate from their wider community. This can be a lonely experience, despite the huge efforts of staff many participants would love to receive letters and phone calls from volunteers. Making a new connection and hearing about the experience of others, especially of different ages and backgrounds makes for an interesting activity. If you know of an older person who would like to take part in a befriending call or penpal scheme or would like to volunteer yourself please contact us and we will arrange the first steps.

Knit for another This is an opportunity for both residents who are interested in volunteering or volunteers who have a knack for knitting. Residents in care homes may want to ‘knit for another’ as a way of contributing to their community. There are opportunities to knit blankets and hats for the homeless or to donate to foodbacks and local charities. Alternatively if you are a young volunteer between the ages of 5-14 and would like to knit a brightly coloured scarf, hat, purse or jumper for an older person we can match you up with someone who might not otherwise receive many gifts or visitors.

Up Our Street Residents may not be able to go out much at present but younger people can. Volunteers can take pictures and short films of a particular journey or place that are significant to care home residents who cannot get out. For example: a resident may of frequented a particular park, lived on a particular street or spent time working in a set part of Bristol. Residents can request that young volunteers visit the area, do a set journey, and take photos and films of a particular street. Young people can then report back to the older person about what they saw and discuss why the area is significant to the resident themselves. A shared journey. Technology and support arranging this can be provided by Alive Activities. Please contact Harriet if you are interested.

Record a message of hope: Older people have lived a long and full life and have wisdom and life experience that may prove valuable or interesting for younger generations. Some older people may of lived through the war or other challenging periods of history. 2020 has been a turbulent and challenging year in many ways. Perhaps the older people you know would want to share a Christmas message or message or support and joy for their communities. This can be done in a letter or filmed or recorded. We will then play this message to younger people and their families who will have the option to reply. We want those living in care to be empowered and acknowledged. Hearing their opinions and messages is important and empowering for both the residents involved and those receiving their words.

Draw the view from here How about an art exchange? To start up a connection with someone of a different age and background to you why not paint a picture or tell a story to someone about your day?  You may want to paint ‘the view from here.’ This could be the view from your window, the view of a shared lounge or garden, the view of a favourite friend, family member or member of staff. Alongside the drawing young volunteers and residents could include a short message or list 10 things about themselves, their lives and their interests. Alive will then help ‘exchange’ the art or stories and pair up older and younger participants. You could write a story together exchanging a few pages at a time. Whatever your idea we’d love to hear about it and help. Zoom meetings and sharing meetings to discuss the art, stories or letters can also be arranged if requested. Contact us to find out more.

One Good Turn 2021 and beyond

Once Christmas has passed and we’ve brushed off mince pie crumbs and rebooted dusty laptops, we will aim to begin 2021 with some intergenerational resolutions. New participants and those already involved will be invited to pair together across the generations to pledge their ‘one good turns’ for 2021. Lockdown has shown us the importance of connection and solidarity throughout our communities so our new year activities will involve giving something back to our communities and neighbours and collaborative campaigning for a better world.

Participants can drop in and out of this project either performing one off good turns or random acts of kindness. Alternatively, they can choose to be involved for longer, in which case they will become a part of the core intergeneration team. Working together across the generations to perform acts of positivity locally and further afield.

These are just some examples of the activities, ideas and ‘good turns’ that will be taking place over the next 18 months. We would love you – volunteers, staff, residents and families – to come up with your own ideas and ‘good turns’ based on your interests and ideas. We will then facilitate and foster intergenerational connections between older and younger people across the city. At Alive we believe that a thriving and healthy community includes all members of society regardless of background or age. We want to focus on the power of participants to bring joy to one another and collaborate across the generations to have a positive impact on wellbeing of both the individual and the community as a whole.