In 2023, the MOST Association carried out a very interesting project entitled „Seniorze działaMY!”, aimed at encouraging older people to get involved through existing senior citizens’ councils. The project involved members of the councils in Katowice and Mysłowice, as well as active older people from Zabrze who are interested in setting up a Seniors’ Council in their own town. Zabrze is one of the few towns with county status that has not yet established such a council. The reason for this situation is that senior citizens in Zabrze have not yet submitted an application to establish a senior citizens’ council in the town.
That is why, as part of the project, we used meetings and workshops to assess the willingness of older people in Zabrze to set up a council and to gather their ideas for pro-senior initiatives in the town.
Strengths and weaknesses of the city’s initiatives, according to Zabrze’s senior citizens
During one of the training sessions for older people living in Zabrze, one session was devoted to assessing the current state of initiatives for older people in the town.
The participants at the meeting identified the fact that there is a senior citizens’ club in every district of Zabrze, where active senior citizens can meet, as the most significant factor having a very significant impact on the quality of life of senior citizens. This initiative is mainly run by the Zabrze branch of the Polish Association of Pensioners and other non-governmental organisations operating in the city. It is worth noting that these organisations are able to operate so actively thanks to the use of municipal resources – rooms in cultural centres and other local government facilities made available free of charge. The Municipal Family Support Centre also undertakes a great deal of work in the city to support Zabrze’s senior citizens.
Older people in the city also appreciate the good public transport links and the extensive network of healthcare facilities. There are quite a few clinics and general and specialist hospitals in the city, including, for example, a cardiology centre.
The experience and commitment of Zabrze’s older residents are also a valuable resource on which to build. It is they who undertake many initiatives to support other people aged 60 and over, women, children and people with disabilities.
Areas requiring improvement
Older people living in Zabrze have noticed that Communicating with people who are living to a ripe old age and require care presents a considerable challenge. These people are staying at home, and support organisations find it very difficult to reach them and gain their trust.
Other challenges highlighted by older residents of Zabrze include logistical barriers: poor street lighting and inadequate international transport links. This is a result of the ongoing redevelopment of the city’s transport hubs. Once the renovation work is complete, there is a chance that the situation will improve.
Areas relating to intergenerational integration, including those aimed at improving neighbourly relations, require decisive action. Intergenerational integration could take place during educational and skills-building classes and workshops – of which, despite the considerable number of activities in the city, there are still not enough.
According to an analysis carried out by those involved in the project, addiction amongst older people is a significant problem – it often stems from loneliness and a lack of habits involving spending free time outside the home. This issue is equally important in all three towns where we carried out our project activities.
Opportunities and risks
The growth of neighbourhood support, inter-institutional cooperation and legislative changes aimed at improving the situation of people aged 60 and over are opportunities which, if seized, can improve the quality of life for older people.
The risks identified by older people as affecting their quality of life include:
- impoverishment of older people,
- the breakdown of social ties and changes to the family model,
- a shortage of geriatricians,
- a rise in crime,
- a considerable number of negative stereotypes associated with old age.
Let’s get active, seniors!
On 28 December 2023, the final meeting of the year for Zabrze’s senior citizens took place. During the meeting, the group discussed the activities already carried out as part of the project and outlined preliminary plans for the coming years.
The City Council of Senior Citizens
Extensive experience, sensitivity to social needs, availability, good manners and composure – these are the strengths of older people that are well worth harnessing in social and civic activities. Older people feel the need for integration and for further engagement within the older people’s community. It was decided that discussions on the need to establish a municipal council for senior citizens and the tasks the council will undertake will continue amongst a wider group comprising senior citizens, representatives of non-governmental organisations and the City Council. Certain steps towards establishing a council in the municipality have already been taken; a proposal to set up a Seniors’ Council in Zabrze, a model resolution and the Statutes of the Town’s Seniors’ Council have been drawn up. The extent to which these documents will be utilised depends on discussions within the senior citizens’ community, which are scheduled for 2024.
Eco-senior
Environmentally friendly behaviour is a necessity of our times. It is a key focus of the educational and awareness-raising initiatives undertaken by the local council and residents. As part of these efforts, Zabrze’s senior citizens have proposed several initiatives aimed at raising awareness amongst Zabrze’s residents of issues relating to (broadly defined) ecology and the protection of the Earth’s natural environment, as well as the relationship between humans and the environment.
These activities are aimed at raising environmental awareness, fostering positive attitudes towards environmental protection, foster a sense of responsibility towards the natural world around us, draw attention to environmental threats, encourage residents to put forward their own ideas for nature conservation initiatives, and cultivate habits associated with an eco-friendly lifestyle. They will serve as inspiration for making the right consumer choices, because even a small effort by a single person, if it becomes widespread and is adopted on a large scale, can yield significant results in protecting the natural environment.
Examples of initiatives:
- The Soviet POW Cemetery in Zabrze.
- Ecology in the garden.
- Ensuring that city parks are kept clean, e.g. tidying up Rotmistrz Witold Pilecki Park
- Lectures, talks, presentations and workshops at various venues across the city. Topics will include issues such as: waste sorting and recycling, water conservation and protection, air and soil protection, a healthy lifestyle, organic products, forms of nature conservation, parks and natural monuments, plants and animals, guidelines for interacting safely with nature, and organisations campaigning for nature conservation in Poland and around the world.
- Bottle collection.
- Facilities for cyclists.
Other ideas for activities organised by senior citizens in Zabrze are similar to those proposed by people aged 60 and over across the province for activities aimed at senior citizens. We have already written about these in this article:
- IT workshops for older people,
- Promoting the Silesian dialect,
- Tours of Zabrze’s old neighbourhoods,
- A screening of films on Silesian themes, including those set in Zabrze, amongst other places
(e.g.: „Cholonek”, „Angelus”, „The Sinful Life of Franciszek Buła”, „The Bus Leaves at 6.20”, „The Gods”, „The Order of Feelings”)
We would like to thank everyone for creating a positive atmosphere for discussions on topics important to senior citizens. Thank you for taking part in the workshops, training sessions, study visits and all the activities we have organised. We hope that these initiatives will be implemented in the coming years.
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.