For older adults, staying active and finding fulfilling hobbies to pass the time are important and beneficial to their physical and mental health. After all, no one wants to spend their golden years feeling bored and unfit. But as people age, a number of ailments like arthritis, osteoporosis, high blood pressure or heart conditions can make it more challenging to stay active and get exercise. Older adults need to find hobbies that can help keep them fit and mentally stimulated without putting too much strain on their bodies. Fortunately, the lockdown and self isolation has been the perfect time for our service users to participate in such an activity: ‘gardening’.
During this lockdown, gardening has been beneficial for our service users because it is an enjoyable form of exercise and an activity that improves dexterity, reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and enhances relaxation and well-being.
In this video one of our Trustees: Paramjit Bains together with Mohinder Samra can be seen using their time wisely during lockdown by keeping active in the gardens.
Paramjit Bains has been involved in Ekta Unity for many years firstly as a volunteer and then as a Trustee. She is a dedicated individual who always goes out of her way to help and support all our service users. Just like all our Trustees, she is an inspiration to us all for her devotion, purpose and having a single minded loyalty and integrity.
Suman Ghaiwal-Chair of Ekta Unity said: “Ekta Unity has continued to go from strength to strength this year, with some great work done so far during the lockdown – which has all been possible thanks to the hardworking Board of Trustees and Operations Team that we have in place. I want to take a moment to thank them all for the many ways that each of them have contributed each day during this lockdown, championing our cause, mission and vision in supporting our service users. When our new Board of Trustees began our term in office in January 2020, we all collectively made a decision to choose this journey to allow Ekta Unity to realise its full potential and influence. In years to come, each of us will look back and be able to say that, ‘our collective decisions made all the difference’. I am grateful and humbled by all the determination and compassion.
We will all continue to work hard during these challenging times, by sending our 200+ service users the regular ‘care packs’ and make weekly telephone calls to all of them to make sure they are ok. We hope to begin plans to restart our activities once again at St Paul’s Church, Foleshill, Coventry in the autumn, only when it is absolutely safe to do so”
Suman Ghaiwal
Chair
Ekta Unity