Celebrating the art of "growing older joyfully!"
Chichester’s Dickie Bows and Petticoats Club is celebrating a remarkable two years of success this year.
Founder Dawn Gracie says that when she started it a couple of years ago, the emphasis was on ending isolation and loneliness amongst older people. Since then the focus has definitely changed.
“That sounded far too depressing! We think of it much more now as being all about growing older joyfully!”
Aimed at the over 65s, it meets in the Pallant Suite on the last Tuesday of every month between 12 and 2pm, attracting more than 80 people each time for a couple of hours of fun, but fun with a slight edge, Dawn says.
“I think it has worked so well because it serves a real need for something different during the day to offer our seniors other than knitting and nattering coffee mornings. I draw on my experience in the world of cabaret and it's all about helping people to grow old joyfully and just have a laugh – and also to meet other people. It is run by a team of volunteers and we've got a team of 25 or 26 volunteers which means that we can keep the cost low. It's just a really happy occasion. It sells out practically every month.
“It is all about a couple of hours of forgetting the outside world. We have a lot of people that are by themselves. We get recently widowed people. We get people that have recently moved to the area. We have lots of people in their 80s and 90s that wouldn't dream of going out at night or wanting to be surrounded by lots of people drinking alcohol. But really it is about avoiding the darkness and all the travel issues and just bringing people together joyfully during the day.
“And I didn't realise how much our volunteers would love it too. We've got a real community of volunteers. Some of them have recently moved to the area and it's lovely for them too.
“I would love to have a bigger venue. I've been looking for a bigger space in Chichester for 13 years but there just isn't the space currently. We've also been approached by people in other areas that would love to have it too but we have to remember that our volunteers are from this area. But it is certainly a model that is capable of being taken on in other areas because it just works so well.”
Principal community partner Chris White-Smith, of Promedica24, is delighted to be part of it all: “There are lots of tea parties around the area and events going on in care homes but this is really unique in so many different ways. It's got that edgy side but the entertainment is for everyone.
“We are a specialist home care provider for people living at home. We are all about supporting people so that they can live independently in the comfort of their own home with all the help that they need. But obviously there is a risk of loneliness being at home in some circumstances so this really does tick all the boxes in terms of enabling people to make connections. As a fit from our brand's point of view it is fantastic and we just have so much fun. I've got to know all the guests that come back time after time and there is just such a great feeling about it. It is all about positivity and giving people a really happy time.”
Dawn is thrilled that through the club she can also support the Chichester Foodbank, inviting guests to bring in tins in exchange for raffle tickets – which enabled the club to donate to the food bank the equivalent 788 meals last year.