Golf tournament win for elderly YHN residents

Elderly Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) tenants were among a number of social housing residents from across Newcastle who took part in a golf event with a difference at Westgate Centre for Sport.

Residents from YHN schemes in Coniston House, Margaret Collins House and Welbeck Green Bungalows, joined tenants from three other housing associations and the Death Action Group to compete for the Rookie Golf Christmas Cup, which got rescheduled from December because of the bad weather.

Rookie golf lessons, delivered by Rookie Sports, a social enterprise committed to working in local communities and bringing people together, have been a part of YHN’s Positive Activities Programme for the last 18 months.

The game uses enlarged and brightly coloured apparatus to help elderly residents participate and enables them to get engaged in their communities and enhance their hand and eye coordination.

Over 70 people including some in their 80s and 90s competed for the tournament trophy which was eventually won by YHN’s team from Welbeck Green.

John Lee, chief executive at YHN, said: “We are always looking at new and different ways to get our tenants engaged in the community. Our Positive Activities Programme has been really successful and the rookie golf lessons in particular have proved extremely popular.”

Cliff Atherton, 86, has lived in the Walker area for most of his life and moved into Margaret Collins House with his wife in 2003, before she passed away five years later. He said: “I had a mild heart attack about three weeks ago and the doctor told me that playing rookie golf would be a really good way for me to keep fit without over-exerting. “

Atherton, who has two daughters and two grandchildren, added: “As well as helping me to exercise I like the social side of it as lots of people take part and we all have a good laugh together. I’m a canny player and it’s something that I really like to take part in.”

Edith Graham, 68, another resident at Margaret Collins House said: “The camaraderie among not only our teammates but also players from the other housing associations really shined through today. It’s great to get together with old and new friends and do something that we can all enjoy.”