Active Ageing

The gathering place for seniors, "Warm Corner" has been designed for elderly people who gather around common interests with a desire to socialize, help each other, fulfill a variety of their needs, and be useful members of society. It is a place where seniors are always welcome, and where they can spend part of their free time by being involved in different activities. Here they have the opportunity to implement their ideas and interests through various organized self-help groups and activities.

Self-help groups for the elderly are an important aspect of their activity, in which where they can express their needs and problems and look for solutions to these challenges. Older people need to use the knowledge, experience, and skills they have acquired in their lives, both for their own benefit and for the benefit of others.

The key task of a self-help group is to promote active aging through psycho-social support within the group, and for them to overcome isolation, and to identify challenges that they face in the local community.

In this way, older people strive to live as fulfilling a life as possible in an all-encompassing sense, - emotionally, physically, spiritually -, as well as to be socially and intellectually engaged.

The members of the Warm Corner club are seniors with preserved mental abilities, who are able to come to the club on their own, and so address and overcome feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Members of the Warm Corner club develop a sense of belonging to the group, and over time they develop a better understanding of the positive effects which volunteer work can have on them. It is very important for them to maintain continuity in all activities and events, in order to have full benefit of time spent with other seniors, something which is beneficial for both mental and physical health. This is especially important to prevent dementia in seniors.

"Warm Corner" has about 100 members.

Activities take place daily. Seniors have 4 groups with different subsections:

•  Culture group With subsections concrned with: folklore, singing, literature and drama. The group organizes trips and excursions to different places in Serbia with the goal of helping seniors get a better konwledge of the cultural and historical heritage of Serbia.
•  Creative group With subsections including: tailoring workshop with a goal of making furniture and fashion accessories from recycled material; workshops for making greeting cards and ethno products; workshops for making various small ethno and cultural items using different techniques.
•  Educational group Includes computer courses in combination with English language, and educational seminars on various topics in accordance with the interests of seniors
•  Sport and recreational group Includes board games (bingo, dominoes, memory games, chess); gymnastic exercises on a chair; sports activities (darts, bocce, participation in third age Olympics etc.)

Members of the Warm Corner regularly organize trips and, visits, including some to pensioners' associations, seniors' home associations and the like. In this way they promote the importance of active ageing to other seniors.

The most active group is the Bread of Life culture and folklore ensemble. This group is always welcomed and gladly received as guests at any event dedicated to the elderly population, because of their contribution to the preservation of cultural and traditional songs and folklore.

During the state of emergency, declared because of the pandemic, and the ban on movement within the city, including the exclusion of the public transportation, humanitarian activities were carried out by several mobile teams composed of employees of Bread of Life and a number of young volunteers.

The address of the senior centre Warm Corner is Brsjacka 26, Zvezdara.

All interested seniors who want to join the Warm Corner club can apply by phone 011 / 244-3540