St Joseph’s Primary School in Cardiff signs up to Age Cymru’s Big Step fundraiser

School with a proud record of working with older people teams up with national charity

St Joseph’s Primary School in Cardiff has signed up to take part in Age Cymru’s Big Step fundraiser in July. 

After pupils reflected on the effects of the pandemic upon their older relatives, 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 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 is to take part in Age Cymru’s Big Step fundraiser in July where the charity will be holding its annual fundraiser to help raise vital funds for its work. 

Supporters will be asked to walk 10,000 steps a day throughout the month and seek sponsorship for their efforts from friends, families, and colleagues. 

In 2022, the charity made more than 10,000 friendship calls to lonely older people, so it’s challenging the public to match that achievement by completing the same number of steps each day or as near to the target as possible.  

Age Cymru’s chief executive Victoria Lloyd says “We were absolutely thrilled when the Minie Vinies Action told us they are supporting our Big Step fundraiser.  Equally impressive was the amount of work they have done to better understand the challenges facing many older people and then following their motto by ‘turning concern into action’.   

“With the cost-of-living crisis and 220,000 older people in Wales saying they feel lonely, there’s a pressing need to reach out to even more older people which is why our telephone friendship and advice services are so important right now.  

You can help Age Cymru support older people across Wales by signing up for The Big Step and raising vital funds for the charity.  Visit agecymru.org.uk/thebigstep or call 029 2043 1555. And if you raise more than £50, you’ll get a special Big Step T-shirt!