Zooming through lockdown at Jamisontown

Jamisontown Community Centre has been keeping spirits high by hosting its regular programs via Zoom video calls to keep clients connected during the lockdown. From cooking, singing and dancing, all of the client favourites have gone digital. It has been an excellent opportunity for the clients at home to see their friends, maintain their routine, and enjoy the atmosphere of the community centre from home.

Afford Community Centres are inclusive environments that always provide meaningful support to clients, even during challenging times.

“I think the lockdown experience has made everyone realise just how much we appreciate each other. We miss our clients and they miss their friends and staff too. A lot of parents have told us how much the online zoom sessions have been helping, which is great,” said Senior Lifestyle Assistant, Lisa Chantler.

One of their recent initiatives was a cooking program hosted on zoom, where everyone prepared the party favourite fairy bread. The onsite clients combined this activity with their pen pal program by delivering invites along with some sprinkles to nearby clients who wanted to attend from home.

“The guys love doing pen pal deliveries as it gives them a chance to break up the usual routine. It is also a COVID-19 safe activity as we drive within our 5km and drop the packages at their letterboxes,” continued Lisa.

The day was a fantastic opportunity for everyone to catch up and enjoy a yummy virtual lunch with friends.

“We do try to keep it creative, which has been tricky with the restrictions, but Team Jamo always makes it work,” said Lisa. 

Jamisontown has also continued other programs online, such as dance sessions and site favourite, Music Matt. The team were so excited when Matt volunteered to provide free online music sessions for the site during the lockdown. These sessions have provided some normalcy to our client’s routines and have allowed them to feel connected wherever they are.

Our staff will continuously create innovative activities to provide the best service to our clients even when times are tough.

Find out more about Afford Community Centres and how they encourage everyone to achieve their goals and make the most of every day.