Newcastle Schools Sport Partnership

News

INTERGENERATION rookiegolf MATCHES

15/01/2010

This was one sporting competition where everyone agreed that the results were not important – it really was the taking part and the many benefits that brought that mattered.
Intergenerational golf was the competition – an event where primary school pupils competed against players from local sheltered housing schemes.
Just before Christmas, 90 Yr 5 pupils from 3 primary schools in Walker hosted Intergeneration RookieGolf matches at their schools, where pupils competed against players from local sheltered housing schemes. The schools taking part were Walkergate, who played against Margaret Collins House, West Walker who played Eastbourne Court and Tyneview who played tenants from Monkchester & Welbeck Green. This was part of the Community Living Independence Project, funded through the Active Ageing Partnership and Your Homes Newcastle, and delivered by Rookie Sports.
Rookie Sports staff worked with pupils and their teachers at Walkergate, West Walker and Tyneview primary schools, to develop the pupils’ golfing skills, and then the pupils from each school planned their own match against one of the older people’s groups.
The atmosphere at all 3 matches was fantastic, with lots of cheering, everyone supporting each other, making new friends and both generations having a great time.
Staff at the schools felt the project has brought many benefits to their pupils:
“The pupils benefitted greatly from having a real purpose and focus in having to take responsibility for the success of the project. They developed good team work skills, new friendships were developed, and they were able to adapt their own behaviour for the visitors and show a real empathy towards the older people”
If any schools are interested in developing similar Intergeneration Projects please contact June Shone at Rookie Sports, Tel: 0191-226 7356 or email: june@rookiesports.co.uk