Social News: Summer garden party

Local charity, Age Exchange, held a garden party on a rare Open Day at Boones Chapel, a Grade I listed building in Blackheath

The event gave a unique opportunity for visitors to look round Boones Chapel, a 17th century restored former mausoleum. In 2008 the building started opening 30 days a year, with exhibitions. The people who attended were able to take a look inside the chapel, sample homemade cream teas, play traditional games and browse a wide array of stalls.

In the evening visitors enjoyed an open-air jazz concert in the idyllic Almshouse gardens. Jon Dexter and his band, ex-students at Trinity College of Music, entertained picnickers as the sun went down.

Lydia Thurgar, Centre Co-ordinator at Age Exchange said: “The Garden Party was a huge success. Hundreds of local people came along to support us on one of the hottest days of the year… The day reflected our commitment to intergenerational learning with people of all ages working together to put on a great show.”

Age Exchange is a charity based in Blackheath, which aims to to improve the quality of life of older people, by emphasising the value of their reminiscences to young and old through artistic, educational, and social care activities. The internationally acclaimed charity was formed in 1983 to give elderly people a wider appreciation in the form of visual and performance arts projects, intergenerational projects, exhibitions, publications and documentary film.

The charity has widened its scope to focus on particularly vulnerable groups, especially those living with dementia and those at risk of social exclusion. It has grown to be recognised as one of the leading providers of reminiscence work.

For more information on Age Exchange, phone 020 8318 9105 or visit
www.age-exchange.org.uk/

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