Activities in the community

We take our motivation from the words of Jesus who said about ‘Life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10) and we believe that is a good plan for us to do even more, and not just for the first six decades of our lives!

In our Corps and community programmes, The Salvation Army Older People’s Ministries Team are working with our Corps to unlock the opportunities later life can present to a person and their families, which is why we have dedicated activities, classes and clubs to meet these needs.  

It’s important to us to continue to develop spiritually, socially, culturally and emotionally but also to challenge the stereotypes and prejudices we have about the ‘old’.

However, let’s be realistic. Approaching older age can trigger fears for some people that they will become isolated, suffer from ill health and lose identity and purpose.  As our communities live longer those in later life can feel alone and more vulnerable.

The extension of our later life means that many of our Corps are providing a diverse and vibrant range of programmes and activities that can happen at the local level. 

Examples include:

• Walking clubs,
• Intergenerational projects (bringing the young and people in later life intentionally together)
• Lunch Clubs
• CAMEO Clubs (Come And Meet Each Other)
• Community Choirs,
• Indoor Bowls & other sports
• Health and well-being programmes,
• Age to Age Study Guide (short sessions looking at the themes and issues of later life)
• Christian Teaching programmes,
• Hobby based clubs,
• Singing by Heart (singing groups for people living with Dementia)
• Gardening Clubs
• Volunteering Opportunities
• Cafés
• Awareness Courses (such as Dementia and End of Life planning)
• Day Trips & Holidays
• Holiday at Home schemes (all the joy of a holiday- but not leaving home)
• Men’s and Women’s ‘Sheds’ (getting older men and women together around a hobby or special interest)

We have a new study guide being launched in June called Age to Age. This resource will cover a wide range of topics for people journeying through their later years.

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