Men’s Club ‘Diamond Geezers’ At Brendoncare Alton

Brendoncare Alton, run by Winchester based charity, The Brendoncare Foundation, has launched a new club ‘Diamond Geezers’ especially for the male residents within the care home.

The staff at the home know how important it is that every resident is supported in their social, physical and mental wellbeing. 28% of residents at Brendoncare Alton are men and at times they were not keen on participating in activities because they were outnumbered by the women! A new ‘Diamond Geezers’ men’s club has been established especially for the men to take part in a range of activities and social get-togethers.

Andy Rogers, Activities Co-ordinator at Brendoncare Alton, said, “I wanted to create a space for men so we could incorporate their hobbies and interests and have the social time together. The ‘Diamond Geezers’ men’s club is a time for men to get to know each other and do various activities such as table tennis, darts and indoor bowling. We are planning to get our maintenance team involved on some DIY projects and also arrange a ‘pub afternoon’ too.

“The men do behave differently when they are around other men and we thought it would be really beneficial to create that space. There is a lot of respect and you often hear ‘mate’ as a greeting amongst them. The indoor sports and games definitely brings out their competitive side!

“The ladies are not being left out though, we have also created a ‘ladies hour’ so they can have specific time for their interests and hobbies, without the men!”

Geoff, a resident at Brendoncare Alton added, “Although I like to mix with the ladies, I like the men’s club as ‘I’m not one for knitting’. I really enjoy watching a game of rugby with the other men. The ‘Diamond Geezers’ is the perfect time to continue our interests which may be something some of the ladies wouldn’t enjoy!”