A warm embrace
Sandra, 74, was born in Jamaica and has lived a stone’s throw from the centre for almost 25 years. She would come here to buy her lunch when she was in her sixties, but didn’t have the need to embrace the other services on offer. Having since developed health conditions that have affected her mobility, Sandra now comes to the exercise classes here. “But this is my first Christmas party experience,” says Sandra.
When she was younger, Sandra was a touring singer who rubbed shoulders with the stars of the day, recalling the time she danced with Jimi Hendrix in a club on Carnaby Street in the 1960s, unaware of who the superstar guitarist was. These days, though Sandra has family in Jamaica, she lives alone and when at home tends to spend most of the time playing games on her mobile phone. “I’m a loner and I enjoy my own company, but I also know that it’s important to socialise, and the atmosphere to meet people here is very good.”
It’s not just other older people from the community here today, though. Sandra is joined for a plate of food by eight members of the Millwall Lionesses Football Club, who have volunteered to come and help out with serving food and chatting to everyone – providing an important intergenerational element.
“I strongly believe that learning is for every day, and if you just stay with the same people, you can’t have your circle be influenced,” explains Katrina. “So if you have people from different walks of life, different communities coming together, we are only going to grow and evolve. So, with the Millwall ladies coming in, they’re going to be able to talk about football, as well as their other interests and what they’re up to.”
It’s certainly an opportunity that proves beneficial to Sandra, who’s enjoyed the chance to meet new people of all ages. “It’s been a great time,” smiles Sandra. “And it’s allowed me to see the many other services available so close to my home.”
Meanwhile, for Katrina, once Christmas celebrations are complete and the New Year arrives, she’ll already be planning next year’s festivities with her team.
“We’ll look at what worked and what we can change to make it even better,” says Katrina, though there are some elements that remain essential. “You need bubbles, you need good music, you need good vibes, and you need nice aesthetics. Because when people come here and feel that it’s been planned with lots of love to a high standard, they encourage their friends and people they know to come too – so we can give even more older people in this community a happy Christmas.”
