some people get my goat

[Russian Doll]

as part of my communiy garden we are offering a free service to the elderly to tidy and manage there garden...all part of letting the youth meet the elderly and build bridges

i have ateam of kids ranging from 6 to 11..who all love helping me..they dug over and de weeded the church garden last saturday without a whinge


because of there age some of the old peole wont let them help because they think there going to wreck there gardens


arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[anarchistinslippers]

That's rubbish. I guess they've been reading their Express/Mail which has been informing them that anyone under the age of 60 is a troublemaker.

[MKG]

I know exactly what you mean but ...

... so now is the time to go into active mode and produce fliers and give demos and establish examples to prove that those kids will NOT be damaging. Don't just sit back and accept it. SHOW people that they'll be adequately trained and supervised.

Just keep banging away at the barriers. You'll get there

Mike

[mrsflibble]

I'm with Mike, the only way to get them to see is to... well, make them see the work in progress!

[snapdragon]

So so sick of media demonising all youngsters, when 99.9% of them are fantastic.

I agree with show and tell - and reminding the oldies that the kids are someone's grandchildren

[Russian Doll]

So so sick of media demonising all youngsters, when 99.9% of them are fantastic.

I agree with show and tell - and reminding the oldies that the kids are someone's grandchildren

ooh i like that idea....especially as a lot of the elderly round here dont get to see grandchildren etc....

brain whirling now

[sarahkeast]

Feel free to use my garden as a case study!!!! could really use some help with digging and weeding, it is getting old [or did I] really fast, and I am only half way thru the veg bed area

[Russian Doll]

Feel free to use my garden as a case study!!!! could really use some help with digging and weeding, it is getting old [or did I] really fast, and I am only half way thru the veg bed area

i would love to help hun but i think your to far from me..im in purfleet essex

[citizentwiglet]

What a wonderful idea, Russian Doll. I know the olds are cynical and maybe a bit frightened just now; but keep persevering, keep plugging away at it - 'target' your work on the local gossips / ladies that go to the local bingo night / WI / wherever; and before you know it, word of mouth will have done all the work for you; as word of good works (done freely) is soon spread around the local community.

Can you get something in the local newspapers? Arrange a local litter-pick or something, let the journalist link it in to the community garden and the fact these sterling young people WANT to help, and want to change the perception of young people in society. Maybe arrange to take some of the children along to local meetings of the WI / Women's Guild / bowls club / any kind of social groups that cater for your target group; to give your potential 'customers' a chance to meet the children. As someone else said - these children are someone's grandchildren - time the grandparents had a chance to show off about their lovely grandchildren, so rope them in for a bit of positive PR as well......(maybe make some fun 'business cards' for grandparents to hand out to friends, for example).

It's not the older people's fault they are wary - as another poster said, they are being force-fed the same negative images on TV and in the papers; it's up to you to change that perception. It might seem slow going and frustrating at first, but I don't doubt for a minute that your enthusiasm and tenacity will make it work.

[Russian Doll]

we have a clean up purfleet daay arranged on wed 14th...kids all get a goody bag for joining in and there a couple of prizes....ill get there eventually but purfleet is known as a sinkhole estate...and we did have seriuos problems with youths and drugs but they have all gone now but the fear remains...ill get there in the end..we have one person whos willing for the kids to have a go and one is all it takes

[theabsinthefairy]

Good luck Russian Doll, it sounds like a fantastic scheme.

[Keaniebean]

Good luck Russian Doll. I'm sure you will get further with some perseverence.x

We had something simmilar like that round here for a couple of years running, but then the locals who were organising it started getting a little power crazed and bickering and it all got a bit greusome.