The month of June is Seniors’ Month in Ontario – a time to recognize the contributions seniors make to our community (Government of Ontario, 2018).
Age Friendly Guelph is working towards building an age-friendly community by valuing and supporting older adults, celebrating diversity, and reducing inequalities.
Age Friendly Guelph’s Bench Project aims to meet age-friendly community recommendations across several domains identified by the World Health Organization (WHO), including Outdoor Spaces and Public Buildings, Respect and Social Inclusion, as well as Health Services and Community Support.
The goal of this project is to increase accessible seating throughout the City of Guelph by installing community benches. These benches can provide a spot for older adults to rest and engage with others, while enjoying Guelph’s outdoor spaces!
Age Friendly Guelph is excited to announce that we will be unveiling two community benches this summer to kick-start ‘The Bench Project’. This event will be a great opportunity to celebrate Age Friendly Guelph’s Bench Project while also sharing age-friendly stories with the community. Our hope is that the event will bring citizens of all ages together and spark conversation about the importance of ensuring Guelph is a great place to live and age well!
We are grateful for the private donation dedicated to our inaugural bench via the Guelph Community Foundation. This initiative has been made possible by the Community Fund for Canada’s 150th, a collaboration between the Guelph Community Foundation, the City of Guelph, the Government of Canada, and extraordinary leaders from coast to coast to coast.
Everyone in the community is welcome to come out to the unveiling event. Stay tuned to join the age-friendly conversation. More details of the event are to come in the upcoming weeks. Please visit guelph.ca/agefriendly for more information.
Interested in getting involved? We would love to hear from you! We also welcome local businesses, community organizations, and individuals who are interested in sponsoring a bench for The Bench Project to contact Manon Germain, AFG Project Specialist, by email via [email protected].
By Jennifer Derrick, Age Friendly Guelph student volunteer, University of Guelph
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