Video: Errol Walton on getting older people into sport to tackle isolation and loneliness
A facilitator of a scheme that got hundreds of elderly people into sport is hoping that its legacy will live on as the initiative came to an end.
The Golden Games were designed to tackle isolation and loneliness in Nottingham city care homes by bringing elderly people together to play a range of different sports.
However the scheme has now finished.
Facilitator Errol Watson is hoping that it will encourage more elderly people to be active and, speaking on Sports Week, he shared his favourite stories from the events.
He said: “The best story I have is that at one of the events I went to, a lady from one home met a long time friend she hadn’t seen for over 20 years from another home.
“They came together at one of the games after losing contact.
“For me that’s the biggest story out of it all – the fact that they participated and engaged in the event led to bigger things because now they’ve recreated that bond they had after losing it for so many years.”
Errol said that the games gave the care home residents a spring in their step because of the ‘competitive’ edge between different homes.
He said: “I worked with three different homes and when they came together for one of the games, it was the first time they came together for that event.
“So when you told them that everyone was coming together from different homes, they were excited about that and we told them it was competitive.
“It gave them a bit more impetus; sport gives people a sense of belonging.”
For more from Errol, watch the April 19 episode of Sports Week on Notts TV at 7.30pm, or see our catch up service.
