Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 of August, Neighbourhhood Engagement Officers, Vikki Barry, John McGlynn and Gemma Bennett, co-hosted an event at Manchester Caribbean Carnival. The Carnival is a huge event hosted in Alexandra Park in Moss Side every year.
In previous years the team has been involved in running a stall to promote our services, however for 2019 they went for a different approach.
This year, Jigsaw, Moss Care St Vincent, One Manchester and Arawak Walton Housing hosted an intergenerational and historical event in the pavilion in the park. Jigsaw’s independent living tenants were invited to come along for afternoon tea which gave them a section of the event where they could relax and socialise whilst still being a part of the action.
Alongside this, local children displayed their art work in the pavilion. The art work was based around the history of the Carnival and how the elderly people of the area remember the event from when they were younger. On the day, the children and their families came along to view the art work and got involved in with arts and crafts.
A DJ was available and played music from all different eras. There was also a singer who sang Caribbean songs and a magician who wowed both the older and younger audiences on the day.
The message behind the event was that the carnival has so much history and culture that everyone can enjoy it in their own way. The intergenerational side of the event helps to combat social isolation and give different generations a platform from which to swap stories and interests.
The event was a great success, seeing over one hundred people attend over the weekend.
