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Cultural friendship activities are being tried in Riihimäki

12.4.2024 Releases Welfare and health Culture and leisure Open welfare services Wellness Culture The Museum Center Riemu Museums The Finnish Glass Museum

In the dim corridor of the Finnish Glass Museum, three people examine the display cases
By showing a culture friend card, a voluntary friend of culture can enter the Finnish Glass Museum for free in the company of an elderly person, for example. Photo: Jenniina Nummela

In Riihimäki, an experiment of cultural friendship activities will start, which will continue until the end of the year. A similar operation has also been used in the past. Culture buddy activities offer an elderly person who is unable to participate alone, the opportunity to visit museums and the theater with a volunteer friend. A volunteer friend of culture can go to a theater performance or a museum in the company of an elderly person free of charge by showing a friend of culture card.

"The aim of the experiment is to find out how much demand there is for cultural friendship activities, and how it would make the most sense to implement it in practice. A previous experiment showed that it was difficult to reach those elderly people who would have wanted to participate in cultural activities with a volunteer. On the other hand, there were plenty of volunteers interested in acting as cultural friends," says Reija Lumivuokko, director of volunteer work.

A number of local cultural actors have come to support the activity by promising to offer free participation to a volunteer cultural friend. Included are Riihimäki Theater, Riihimäki Youth Theater, Riemu Museum Center and the Finnish Glass Museum. Other actors can be included in the group.

"It's great that, with the help of this activity, we can support the participation of disabled elderly people in cultural life. Culture belongs to everyone. It increases well-being and the meaning of life and enables the experience of learning and inclusion", describes Lyti Aaltonen, responsible culture producer.

Elderly people who need a cultural friend can contact activity supervisor Reija Lumivuokko. With the permission of the elderly, relatives of the elderly or professionals responsible for their care can also report the need for a cultural friend. "The barrier to participation can be both physical, social and psychological. With the help of a cultural friend, we hope to be able to overcome obstacles, and this way as many people as possible can use cultural services", says Reija Lumivuokko.

The Culture Friends experiment is implemented by Riihimäki city's cultural and event services and open welfare services. Cultural friends and the elderly are connected by activity director Reija Lumivuokko

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