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SMILE Project Blog
SMILE - It's all over!
The Big Sneinton Link Up was part of the SMILE project, aimed at building bridges between young and older people. This project has now come to an end however we know during the 7/8 months that we've been out listening to both young and old, we've only just scratched the surface. Building bridges between different generations, different communities takes time and great commitment. It also takes a lot of trust.  Each and every person we have met throughout the project has shown us just how unique they are. Not all young people are the same, just as not all old people are the same. Some older people told us that they don't go out after 4pm, whilst other older people told us how much they enjoy a disco and will happily dance the night away... till 10:30 anyway! Alongside my colleagues I've learnt so much along the way. The best advice I can give (which I too received) is when working with any group of people 'just shut up and listen'. Never assume you hold all the answers. This project may have come to an end however, there is still much that is needed to be done. We have shared our findings with the Muslim Community Organisation who are interested in continuing with this much needed work. They are currently working on developing a befriending scheme with Nottingham Age UK. We hope that other organisations that we have worked with will also continue to build on the legacy of this project. If you, or anyone you know is interested in finding out more about the work we've undertaken on this project then please get in touch. We'd love to share more with you and perhaps you/your organisation can take this work to the next level. | Thank you to Nottingham Academy, Muslim Community Organisation, Sunflower Cafe at St. Christopher's Church, Carlton Folds, Greenway Centre, SEND Project and the Hermitage Community Centre for supporting our work. A heart-felt thank you to all the following organisations for supporting our event through donations of food items and raffle prizes. - Georgio’s Plaice - Sneinton Bikers Thank you to Willmott Dixon for sponsoring The Big Sneinton Link Up. As our projects continue to grow, support from local businesses and services in the area are vital to the success of our events. You are truly appreciated. Last but not least thank you to Deborah Eustace, Zayne Reast, David Thomas and Charlotte Christine for all your hard work on this project. Signing (and smiling) out... Shabana :-)  |
The Big Sneinton Link Up
A BIG thank you to everyone that attended our event. In comparison to the events that we've organised in the past it wasn't the biggest we've done but I hasten to add it's one of the best we've done! Of course, I'm completely biased. The qualitative work that went on was truly amazing. Young and old coming together, conversing, sharing experiences and food. Everyone that performed on the night especially the young people from the SEND Project at the Greenway Centre, much respect. You all held your own! Last but not least - the smile team David Thomas, Steve Smith, Charlotte Christine, all the volunteers, Chefs team, sponsors - everyone that helped make this event a success, I salute you all. Shabana :-) Photos from the event, courtesy of Paul Boast.               |
New Faces at Smile
We have recruited two new team members who are working on the final phase of this project.
They are David Thomas and Charlotte Angel, welcome aboard!
We'd like to thank Zayne and Deborah for their work getting the project underway and wish them all the best in their new endeavours.
Don't forget to look us up on facebook!
www.facebook.com/events/1080972575287809/
The Big Sneinton LinkUp is coming!
It’s a fact that older people are the backbone of any community and the foundation upon which communities are built. It’s also a fact that older people are the reason we are here and therefore at Project SMILE we believe older people need to be looked after, and treated with dignity and respect. At the same time, young people are themselves facing new and emerging challenges. Many argue that they are often misunderstood by older people, which contributes to them being unfairly labelled and judged. In our conversations with young people, we have found the vast majority to be caring and compassionate individuals, who have a good understanding of the major issues facing older people. They also told us that they would welcome the opportunity to help support and befriend an older person, and called for a celebration party to bring both young and older people together. The Big Sneinton Link Up will be the celebration party they have asked for. We intend to ensure our guests have fun and leave having gained a greater understanding of each other. We also hope to identify people willing to participate in Project SMILE in the future. So, The Big Sneinton Link Up is going to be a night of celebration, a night in which the best of what Sneinton has to offer, old and new, come together and have fun. However, rather than just throw a few tables and chairs in a room, we thought we would ‘push the boat out' a little and and make it a little more glitz. Watch this space for more details on the upcoming event! |  |
New recruits to the SMILE team
Congratulations to Deb Lee and Zanye Reast who were recently appointed by Sneinton Alchemy to run SMILE intergenerational which will get under 25's and over 60's together to organise their own activity.
Working on our intergenerational project candidates will help build bridges between the youth and senior citizens of Sneinton.
| Senior Community Organiser and project coordinator Shabana Najib will be managing the project. SMILE intergenerational project is sponsored by BIG:  |
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