Well, our Multigenerational Mumbler Meet-up at Sprowston Day Centre on 20th October was a HUGE success! Myself, Kelly Lindsay from Friend In Deed (an organisation that already does multigenerational community projects) and the manager of the centre, Wendy Williams, have received so many positive comments about the event, it’s been really heart-warming.
BBC Radio Norfolk came to do a live link during the morning and there were lovely pre-recorded interviews with myself, my own Mini Mumbler, a Mumbler mummy, Kelly, Wendy and Day Centre guests broadcast on the breakfast show on 21st October too. I’ve put the show links and times below in case you want to have a listen!
The radio presenter said it was a meetup inspired by the recent channel 4 programme, but that’s not quite true. As Norwich Mumbler is a website and a growing community on the Facebook page & chat group, Twitter and Instagram, I have always been acutely aware that we’re only reaching people via social media, which is why I organise regular Mumbler Meet-ups for parents to meet in person. But I also knew I wanted to use Mumbler to do something that involved the wider community, especially something with the elderly after you hear so much about combatting loneliness etc. Then the C4 programme was shown and it just cemented the fact that this was something we had to do!
There were about 20 Mumbler parents with their little ones as well as the regular elderly guests. I had put out some instruments borrowed from the local Sure Start Centre, colouring activities and some books to share too (I’m a teacher so I prefer too many things to do than not enough!). At the beginning of the morning the two age ranges sat separately from each other but as the morning progressed they all started to mingle and chat more, which was fantastic to see and be a part of. Guests and parents were chatting and some guests were even having baby cuddles; there was a real community feel to the morning.
The community theme continued with a giant cake donated by Cherry Leaf Coffee House in Norwich (see pic of Ray cutting the cake) and a fruit hamper donated by Beeston Farm Shop, which became a raffle prize for one of the elderly guests. I had invited Richard Jarmy Photography to take a few pictures so we could have a memory of the day and hopefully use some for future event promotions, but some of the images he captured are priceless and really sum up what the morning was about. I feel so proud that this was a Norwich Mumbler event! I received a lovely message from Wendy yesterday saying how pleased she was I had rung them to arrange it all and that they all thought it had just been the best morning. Brilliant.
There has been so much interest in this that I know lots of Mumbler parents have said they are keen to do more of them, and I know Sprowston Day Centre, and probably other local care homes/centres, will be interested in doing more so hopefully we can start up some regular meets.
Do join the Facebook page and Chat group if this is something you’d be interested in!
Sprowston Day Centre are always on the look out for volunteers so please get in touch if you think you could spare some time to help. There is also a Sprowston Day Centre Facebook page.
Click here for BBC Radio Norfolk – Meet-up LIVE
From minutes 19 and 30 you can hear the live link from our Multigenerational meet-up this morning – including 86-year-old Emma, who when asked if she enjoyed having kids there said, “Not really!” You win some, you lose some, ey – haha!
Click here for BBC Radio Norfolk – Meet-up Prerecords (the best one!!)
This is the one that includes the pre-records, broadcast this morning. Some lovely comments from the day guests here! Listen from 1 hour 40 mins.
