The next stage in the „Seniorze działaMY!” project, following the classroom-based training sessions and off-site workshops, was a series of study visits. It was with great pleasure that we visited the Senior Citizens’ Councils of Mysłowice and Katowice. These visits to the Senior Citizens’ Councils’ meetings provided an in-depth insight into the Councils’ activities. They also enabled an exchange of experiences and solutions used in other local authorities.
A visit to Katowice
On 11 November this year, at a meeting in Katowice, 27 senior citizens took part in a study visit, including members of the Mysłowice Senior Citizens’ Council and senior citizens from Zabrze who would like to set up a similar council
in their local authority. The meeting was attended by the Deputy Mayor of Katowice, Mr Jerzy Woźniak, and the Head of the Social Policy Department, Ms Małgorzata Moryń-Trzęsimiech. The meeting was also attended by the Mayor of Mysłowice, Mr Dariusz Wójtowicz, and the Mayor of Katowice’s Representative for Senior Citizens, Ms Helena Hrapkiewicz.
During the meeting, the issue of shared experiences and future initiatives was raised. The City of Katowice’s programmes for the over-60s were discussed. The Mayor of Katowice, Jerzy Woźniak, said, amongst other things, that: „A senior citizen’s life does not end when they retire; rather, a new chapter begins. To promote integration and build bonds”. The city of Katowice is organising a trip to Ostrava for 2,500 senior citizens, neighbourhood social gatherings, and smartphone training for 3,600 people”.
For his part, the Mayor of Mysłowice, Dariusz Wójtowicz, emphasised that „that many initiatives do not require money, but goodwill, and that this meeting marks the start of cooperation between the two Councils„.
Next, Mr Krzysztof Hołyński, Chairman of the MOST Association, outlined the aims of the „Seniorze DziałaMy” project. Mr Hołyński pointed out that one of the project’s aims is to create a space for better identifying the needs of people aged 60 and over, and subsequently to undertake joint activities.
A visit to Mysłowice
The follow-up visit to Mysłowice took place on 11 December at a charming venue – the Mysłowice Urban Lab at 8 Grunwaldzka Street in the Old Town. Given the approaching festive season, the main topic of the meeting was the challenge of reaching out to elderly people living alone. The discussion also touched upon further cooperation between senior citizens’ councils and organisations for the elderly.
Ms Małgorzata Herman from the Katowice Seniors„ Council presented a project they are carrying out as part of the ”Wspólni razem” Association. As part of the project, volunteers visit lonely elderly people in so-called ‘block trios’. A trio consists of neighbours of the elderly person whom the lonely individual knows. Thanks to this arrangement, both the person being visited and their companions feel safe.
What did we gain from attending the Senior Citizens’ Council meetings?
We received a very warm welcome at both locations. We also had the opportunity to gain a closer insight into the work of the senior citizens’ councils in Katowice and Mysłowice, and to see how both councils operate under similar organisational and spatial conditions. We also learnt about the direction of senior citizens’ policy in the local authorities. It was particularly valuable to find out about the programmes dedicated to senior citizens in the towns that hosted us.
Both visits served as an inspiration for those who took part to continue their work on behalf of the older generation and to establish a Seniors’ Council in Zabrze.
Thank you very much for the invitation and your hospitality.
About the project
The “Let’s Get Active, Seniors!” project” received funding under The „Aktywni+” Multi-Annual Programme for Older People for 2021–2025 – 2023 edition. The aim of the project was to inspire and encourage civic engagement amongst 40 older people within the framework of Seniors“ Councils by 31 December 2023. The project involved an innovative approach to civic education for current councillors and those seeking to establish such a Council in a town where one does not yet exist. An important aspect of the project was collaborative ”learning by doing’ and the exchange of experiences between activists from Zabrze, Mysłowice and Katowice.