Here Comes The Sun

Description

The Here Comes the Sun project has fostered creativity across the generations connecting communities across county Clare. This Age Friendly intergenerational project brings together primary schools, secondary schools, nursing homes, virtual day centres, and families. The Here Comes the Sun Project is a Keep Well Initiative broken into two parts, Part 1 was released on 19th March 2021 and paints a bleak picture of the realities faced by people during lockdown. Part 2, released on 26th March 2021 celebrates communities across County Clare, filling us with hope and instils pride in our county. The project has been a resounding success with people from Killaloe to Kilfenora contributing video clips, poetry and short stories and our very own President Michael D. Higgins too is involved. Music plays a central role in this project which features musical performances from the Farrell family in New Quay and Craig Pete from Shannon. The Here Comes the Sun Committee worked in conjunction with the Clare Education Centre, Clare Sports Partnership, Clare Age Friendly Programme and Clare County Council.

Aim of Initiative

School children, Primary & Secondary as well as older people

Who is it aimed at

School children, Primary & Secondary as well as older people

Steps critical to success

1. Involvement of relevant agencies to reach children through the schools – Age Friendly Programme reached out to the older community
2. A good videographer who compiled the clips into 2 films
3. Willing enthusiasm and participation from the targeted groups

Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. The organising committee received an overwhelming amount of clips from young & old (nearly 200 clips). It was a challenge choosing what went into the finished films.
2. There was no budget for this, volunteers with relevant skills put together the films in their own time.

Outcomes / Benefits

1. It gave a boost of mental & emotional wellbeing to people young & old who expressed their feelings around how Covid had affected their lives.
2. Poems & shorts stories written by older people were used to inspire the school children to express their own feelings in poetry & excerpts.
3. New relationships were formed between the Clare Education Centre and the Clare Age Friendly Programme who had not collaborated before. We are both keen to do another intergenerational collaboration!