To celebrate the Day of Solidarity between Generations we open our first Human Library on Friday 27 April.
Meet people who are involved in work with older people or who are ageing actively.
Friday 27 April 2012, 11am to 1pm
Central Library, 3rd floor meeting room
This event aims to highlight awareness of the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations (http://europa.eu/ey2012).
So far you can borrow:
A Holocaust Survivor
who has been an active volunteer for over 20 years and regularly speaks in schools and to other organisations about her experiences as a child refugee arriving in England in 1939 and settling and making her life in Yorkshire.
A volunteer
who also runs her own business in Leeds.
A library assistant
who works for Leeds Library and Information Service, which of course caters for all ages, and who volunteers for Leeds Action for the Blind, and has volunteered for other organisations in the past. She has also studied textiles and loves knitting in her spare time.
A 65 year old gentleman
who has been diagnosed with dementia for a few years. He has spent all his working life on a farm and loves animals. He was referred to the Peer Support Service from the Younger People with Dementia Team. He now attends most of the support groups and also is a dementia champion. He is on the Peer Support Service board, attends meetings, conferences, training sessions, community group meetings and drop in sessions and is always happy to share his experience of living with dementia.
He has shared his story with the local media, including a radio interview and an article in the Evening Post. He wants to “give something back to the services that support him” and also wants to share his story to raise awareness and be helpful to others who are experiencing memory problems. He wants to encourage people to live life to the full and spread the message” living well with dementia”.
A volunteer
In retirement, eight years as a volunteer in the office of Older People’s Action in the Locality in Leeds 16. Also enjoying exercise classes and outings provided by OPAL, and knowing that I can turn to them for any problems and difficulties. Good to belong to an organisation that helps older people to live more happily and safely in their own homes.
You can read more about the concept of the Human Library at http://humanlibrary.org/.