OLDER PEOPLE are not seen on university campuses very often but that will change in March when third-level institutions open their doors to their older neighbours.
The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and Friends of the Elderly have come together to launch Open to the Elderly Week which will run from March 2nd-6th.
Third-level colleges and universities all over the State are planning entertainment events for groups of older people. Student musicians and singers will be encouraged to provide entertainment while older people are also expected to provide a few songs and take to the floor for a waltz.
Linda Kelly, USI equality officer, said it was wrong that older people had no involvement in college life.
“It is very unusual to see an elderly person in any Irish college. Yet they are the ones who invested in our future at a time when the majority of them could not even finish their second-level education,” she said.
“We hope that Open to the Elderly Week will be a celebration and an appreciation of what they have achieved and passed to us, and an opportunity to break down the walls between the elderly and students.”
The idea started at UCD two years ago when former students’ union president Barry Colfer rounded up musicians and singers and invited older people from the locality to come into the college for entertainment and light refreshments.
Dermot Kirwan of Friends of the Elderly said the UCD idea had proven to be very popular and it was fantastic to see it growing into a national event.
“There is great musical talent in every Irish college and most elderly people have a song to sing given any encouragement so it is always a great afternoon,” he said.
“The majority of elderly people have never set foot in a college, and only 2 per cent had the privilege of a third-level education, so they are delighted by the recognition and the chance to mix with young people.”
Ms Kelly said she expected that about 90 per cent of colleges affiliated to the USI would organise an event. “It’s so easy to organise and it doesn’t take a lot of work. This is only the start,” she said. “We hope it will become an annual event.”
She said she was quite confident that it would be well supported by groups of older people.
Mr Kirwan said the event had already got “an amazing response” from colleges, universities and older people.
