A Sign of Great Things to Come

Our virtual events are now in full swing. It is an online space where older clients meet together for a chat and enjoy entertainment from a host of talented volunteers. Now, our fabulous Lisa is coordinating things; back in August, it was Shonagh and Thomas who got the whole programme and running … seamlessly? 

With the luxury of hindsight, Shonagh shares her experiences below:

How was running the events at the start?

At the start, I had no idea how many people would actually be able to get on with the technology and log into Zoom so there was a fair bit of apprehension - that maybe there would just be one person there! Yeah, there was definitely an element of worry. Also, trying to gauge how the content would go down felt a bit of a gamble because, inevitably, we were basing everything on our viewpoint rather than that of the client. We did try to put ourselves in their shoes but these were my main concerns before we began. However, from the off it has gone fantastically well!

What went well?

Clients seemed to feel at ease straight away. Once they had logged on and got through the initial challenges of setting things up, there was a real sense of achievement and joy which all came across well on Zoom. It was lovely to see. Then they were able to connect with their peers and the conversation flowed. 

The activities which were lined up at the beginning ranged from armchair exercises to creative writing and topical debates. All the activities have worked really well, with everyone being so engaged and happy to share stories and opinions. I just sit back and enjoy listening to them all. 

Have you learned anything from the whole thing?

I've learned that if you can bring people together, albeit virtually rather than physically, conversation will flow. The willingness to connect is so strong that people deal well with new challenges and are keen to chat, so now I am the quiet one! 

Also, I have been surprised by how well live music works over Zoom. It's like being part of an intimate gig and has felt like such a treat.

Thank you Shonagh, Thomas and Lisa for everything you have done and continue to do, to bring older people together online.