To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.
This Better Story was collected by Marloes van Engen
Valuing intergenerational interactions
Club Goud was launched by Moniek van Daal. Prior to launching the initiative, Moniek had spent more than 10 years volunteering at an elderly home, engaging in simple conversations over coffee with elderly residents. This experience revealed to her that the world of many elderly individuals becomes smaller and smaller, particularly for those who lack close family connections. Moniek strongly believed in the value of intergenerational interactions yet faced challenges in recruiting young volunteers. This motivated her to conceptualize events that could bridge the generation gap.
Organizing outdoor concerts at elderly care homes
Between March and September of 2020, Club Goud organized outdoor concerts at elderly care homes, featuring over 100 artists who delivered more than 250 concerts. This initiative arose as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Club Goud was a local organization that previously focused on intergenerational projects in the realms of music, dance, and art. Collaborations were forged with cultural institutions, art entities, care facilities, and the elderly themselves. The sudden cessation of activities due to lockdowns, coupled with the stringent restrictions in elderly homes, prompted Club Goud to devise the idea of hosting outdoor concerts. This allowed elderly residents to enjoy performances from behind their windows.
Expanding to the national level
Initially a local endeavor, Club Goud’s influence expanded nationally through a call on social media platform NL for each other. This call created enthusiastic responses from artists and care facilities alike. To facilitate smooth coordination between artists and care homes, Club Goud appointed regional coordinators, resulting in a well-organized initiative.
Photo by Thanos Pal from Unsplash