Our Voluntary Action committee have been visiting Elmbridge. Hear our pupils share their experience below:
Johnny H. – For my DofE I have recently had the pleasure of spending time with two of the elderly residents at Elmbridge; named Seleen, Simonne and Anne, it has been so far an incredibly rewarding experience. Listening to their stories and life experiences is inspiring. Their warmth and gratitude has made every conversation meaningful, and I left each visit with a renewed appreciation for the value of talking to all age groups. Some of the common topics we speak about include movies, music, architecture, cars, sports, trips etc., and most fun of all we did various Cambridge general knowledge quizzes. These conversations have reminded me how important it is to take the time to engage with and learn from our elders. I encourage others to be open minded to this type of Voluntary Action and hopefully gain a lot from it.
Alfie G. – For my Voluntary Action as part of my Duke of Edinburgh, I have been going to Elmbridge each week to see Seleen, Simonne and Anne. At first, I was worried that I would struggle to find subjects to talk about with people that I had never met before, but this worry was quickly gone. We talked about a variety of topics in such detail, such as their experiences abroad or historical events. Although each week we took games such as UNO with us, we rarely played them as we talked so much. Through my time at Elmbridge, I developed the ability to ask questions that encourage further discussion and debate, as well as my ability to learn of topics that I had not previously been knowledgeable about, such as classic films. Getting to meet such genuine people in Seleen, Simonne and Anne was truly an enriching experience and I will dearly miss my visits to Elmbridge in the future.
Zahra. – As my voluntary action, I have been visiting Elmbridge once a week to see Seleen, Simonne and Anne. I was nervous as I did not know what I was going to talk about or if I was going to say the wrong thing. However, when I arrived I was quickly reassured that there was no wrong thing to say and that I could speak freely and comfortably. When I am there we often discuss the different places we have travelled to around the world, as well as different places and countries we have lived in. Weekend plans are also discussed along with other interesting matters that have taken place in the week before. Sometimes we also play a variety of games like Uno or the ‘Cambridge quiz’ which questions facts about the world. like famous composers, capitals of countries, famous actors, singers and more….I like going to Elmbridge as I learn different things about life and culture that I maybe wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t gone. Meeting these people and hearing these stories about their life that they have lived has been an unforgettable experience. I am incredibly lucky to have been given the opportunity to do this and hope to carry on.
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