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Connecting the Generations

Joan Sloman, 95 and Claudia Gibb, 16

Long boring afternoons have become a bit brighter for 95-year old Joan Sloman. Joan is part of a new initiative by Presbyterian Support Northern which aims to connect older people with a younger generation.

Initiated by Anne Overton, Community Mission Liaison, the project pairs an older person or a disabled person from Presbyterian Support’s Enliven and Coactive services who would benefit from some additional company with a caring student from St Kentigern’s College.

Thirty-two St Kentigern’s students have taken up the extra-curricular service opportunity so far, including 16-year old Claudia Gibb, who has committed to visiting Joan once a week for the next year. For Claudia, the project sounded like “it was really interesting and a good thing to get involved in”, so she signed up. She’s now found that getting to know Joan has been an amazing experience and a real inspiration.

Living independently in her own home, it’s hard to believe that Joan is ninety-five. She cooks all her own meals, keeps her home in immaculate condition, still drives to the local shops and even has her own veggie garden that she regularly tends.

Sadly for Joan, living so long has meant that many of her friends are no longer around. While she’s living in a caring neighbourhood in Meadowbank, Joan admits that sometimes the afternoons can become lengthy stretches of time with no-one to talk to. “I thought the idea of having a young person come to visit was very nice indeed”, says Joan. “I really do appreciate Claudia giving up her precious time to see me”.

While the relationship is just getting started, Joan and Claudia have already had some interesting discussions and found some common ground. Joan has agreed to teach Claudia a 19^th century French card game called Bezique which Claudia finds very interesting. They chat about their days, share stories about school and their families and how things have changed over time.

Claudia is finding her visits with Joan so enjoyable that she’s told all her friends about it and they all want to come and visit Joan too. “Soon I’ll have a house full of teenagers!” Joan laughs.