“I’m warning you, I’m the starlet of the workshops. » Mauricette, 87, has strong words and a huge dose of humor. One Friday a month, a minibus picks her up in front of her home, in the town of Saint-Laurent (municipality of Boulazac-Isle-Manoire, abbreviated to BIM, in Dordogne), heading to the media library to take part in a games workshop…
“I’m warning you, I’m the starlet of the workshops. » Mauricette, 87, has strong words and a huge dose of humor. One Friday a month, a minibus picks her up in front of her home, in the town of Saint-Laurent (municipality of Boulazac-Isle-Manoire, abbreviated as BIM, in Dordogne), heading to the media library to take part in a board games workshop. She teases: “I’ve lived in this house since May 21, 1969. So watch out for my flower pots! »
The minibus is easily accessible.
Clement Bouynet
Élodie Porcell is at the wheel: “We base ourselves on the repertoire people isolated from the community. We have identified 105 homes, or around 120 isolated elderly people, more or less autonomous, with or without transport,” indicates the social link referent at the City of BIM. The list was drawn up thanks to feedback from families, neighbors and the social action service.
Philippe Greiller
Board games, a timeless leisure activity.
Scrabble and Mantis
It’s Marie-Jeanne’s turn to climb aboard the minibus, accessible to people with reduced mobility. The retiree, who lives in the Hauts de l’Agora district, greets her friend Mauricette. “We are regulars at games workshops,” joke the duo. The discussion goes well during the few minutes of the journey. “We’ll be there faster than if we’d hitchhiked,” laughs one. “Me, I’m only bored at home,” replies the other.
“We have identified 105 homes, or around 120 isolated elderly people”
14 hours. The games workshop can begin. The 13 participants of the day are divided into three groups, led by Angélique or Estelle. “We offer exercises that work on memory. The idea is for the atmosphere to be warm and friendly,” emphasizes Élodie Porcell. On the program, the traditional Scrabble but also Mantis, a sort of Seven Families game where the objective is to steal the opponent’s cards.
Philippe Greiller
Scrabble is unanimous.
Béatrice, a resident of Boulazac for only two months, discovers both the game and some fellow citizens. “I come from the North. It’s good to have such initiatives to create social bonds and to facilitate integration. » That’s it, the game can begin. After a warm-up round, the time to get to grips with the rules, the first bursts of laughter burst forth. The game promises to be lively. Élodie Porcell looks at the scene with a benevolent eye: “All social categories are mixed here”. Mauricette cuts in: “But don’t wish us good luck, we all want to win here.” Hilarity from his playing partners. There is no age limit for having fun.
Races and outings
In addition to fun activities at the media library, the Boulazac “social link” service regularly offers outings, particularly to the restaurant. “That’s where we have the most gentlemen,” teases Élodie Porcell.
Every Thursday, she offers isolated people to come pick them up with the minibus to take them shopping. It can also be used occasionally to carry out administrative procedures.
The idea of monthly screening of a film is being considered for the start of the school year.
