Shellharbour City Council’s Bee Connected program connects seniors with young children for a range of activities. Photo: Shellharbour City Council.
ABC TV series Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds may have become a hit nationally, but a similarly heartwarming program run through Shellharbour City Libraries is having the same impacts locally.
Bee Connected is an intergenerational program that brings toddlers and older residents together to bridge generations, combat loneliness, and build confidence through the power of play, creativity and connection.
Held monthly at Shellharbour City Libraries, the sessions pair the seniors and young children for shared activities such as painting, scavenger hunts, gardening, music, craft, quizzes and storytelling.
A collaborative program, it’s run by the library network in partnership with Warrigal aged care and Shellharbour childcare centres.
A Shellharbour City Library Program Team spokesperson said it was an initiative born from community consultation and research following the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the increased social isolation experienced by older people in aged care facilities and reduced opportunities for social engagement among babies and toddlers.
“We’ve identified over the COVID period that seniors in residential aged care homes were very disconnected, and loneliness was identified, and there were no programs to address this,” they said.
“We also identified with early childhood centres that we partner with that our toddlers weren’t quite at the social interaction level that other children were, and they were struggling to make connections.”
It led to the decision to create a program that brought the two cohorts together at the library.
“The major positives in the program have just been a change in older people when they’re coming in, interacting with toddlers,” they said.
“At first they were very hesitant; they just hung around the back and did their own thing.”
Now residents were grabbing their partnered child, and “running around the yard and getting them moving and active in the community and making those social connections”.
Shellharbour City Council Mayor Chris Homer said the program was a wonderful example of how libraries could build stronger, more connected communities.
“Bee Connected has created a space where different generations can come together to learn, laugh and enjoy each other’s company,” Cr Homer said.
“It’s heartwarming to see the friendships forming and the joy on people’s faces.”
It’s a program based on the principles of creating inclusive, accessible spaces and treating libraries as “community living rooms” where people feel safe, welcomed and engaged.
Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive, with seniors enjoying the companionship and energy of the children, and young participants gaining confidence, communication skills and new friendships.
In addition to building relationships, Bee Connected has increased awareness of the library’s services and encouraged participation in other council-run programs and events.
To see what the Bee Connected program is all about, watch the video.
