Pupils from St Joseph’s Primary School in Cardiff signed up to take part in Age Cymru’s Big Step fundraiser this summer with members of their Minie Vinies Action group raising an amazing
£177.77.
In recent months pupils have been reflecting on the effects of the pandemic on their older relatives and neighbours, so they decided to support older people in as many ways as possible.
The Minie Vinies Action group, whose motto is ‘Turn Concern into Action’ did just that and organised visits to local care homes where they entertained residents with music and set up pen
pal partnerships with lots of older people. They even entered, and won, a St Fagans based writing competition about the past as part of Dementia Action Week.
And their latest challenge was to take part in Age Cymru’s Big Step fundraiser during the summer where they had to walk 10,000 steps a day for a month and seek sponsorship for their efforts
from family and friends.
In 2022, the charity made more than 10,000 friendship calls to lonely older people, so it challenged its supporters to match that achievement by completing the same number of steps each
day for a month.
Leading on the work with older people, St Joseph teacher Kathryn Tuff says “The children
have really made a difference. The support they received from family and friends was tremendous and they have made me very proud. They have learnt all about turning their ‘concern into action’, helping others, and how to raise money for a good cause.
One child was very meticulous in counting the steps, using his Fitbit to make sure that he was meeting more than 10,000 steps a day. He said “I enjoyed doing the big step, it made me do
a lot of exercise!” Another child managed to raise over £90! She said “My family and friends sponsored me as they know it is a really good cause close to their hearts. I had lots of fun doing the steps!”
Age Cymru’s chief executive Victoria Lloyd says “The Minie Vinies Action are an inspiration to all of us turning their concern into action and making a real difference to the lives of older
people. The amount of work they have done to understand some of the challenges facing many older people is a credit to both them and their school.
For more information on how you can support Age Cymru visit www.agecymru.org.uk/getinvolved or call 029 2043 1555.
