![\"\"](\"http:\/\/wordpress.satellite.mmu.ac.uk\/northernquota-old\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/437\/2017\/10\/elderly_persons_0-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\nGirl guides are being given a new badge for visiting lonely elderly people in Manchester.<\/p>\n
Four thousand Girlguiding Manchester Rainbows, Brownies, Guides are taking part in the pilot scheme to break down age barriers and tackle loneliness.<\/p>\n
The specially-designed badge will emphasise the importance of communities working together, especially after the Manchester Arena attack.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
After visiting the sheltered housing court, one Rainbow said: \u201cCan we go back every week?\u201d<\/p>\n
Another one added: \u201cI made a new friend (Margaret 72), when can we come again and a third said I like doing our activities together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Helen Salvini, Girlguiding Manchester assistant county commissioner, said: \u201cYoung people are often portrayed poorly in the media so it\u2019s fantastic to have this opportunity to showcase the good work that they do.\u201d<\/p>\n
The activities put on by Girl Guides and Brownies included: putting on a play at sheltered housing in Manchester, arranging a special indoor campfire with storytelling and craft sessions<\/p>\n
Veronica Armstrong, 67, of Northenden, said: \u201cMe and my age group have the time to spend with children and we can give a different view on life. We also have skills we can show them like sewing, learning to knit and doing gardening.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlus a lot of my friends miss their families because they don\u2019t live near their own children or grandkids and they would really like to have ongoing involvement with children\u2019s projects.\u201d<\/p>\n
The badge was the idea of the Manchester Health Care Commission (MHCC) who began the trial badge last Christmas.<\/p>\n
Ian Williamson, chief accountable officer at the MHCC, said: \u201cLoneliness can be devastating in both its physical and psychological effects, especially for older people.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Girl guides are being given a new badge for visiting lonely elderly people in Manchester. Four thousand Girlguiding Manchester Rainbows, Brownies, Guides are taking part…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1216,"featured_media":1501,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4972,1],"tags":[1095,1096,7],"class_list":["post-1503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-uncategorised","tag-girl-guiding","tag-loneliness","tag-manchester"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n