A splash of unity

LOCAL firefighters got into the fun at the Connecting Generations Bangalow event last Sunday by hosing down the slip ‘n’ slide for young attendees.

The organisation’s co-founder Ruth Winton-Brown said she had already invited a crew from Bangalow Fire Station to the get together to show children their fire engine when a viral video of firefighters engaging in a similar act in Manly on Australia Day gave organisers the idea.

“We hold the event every season and we thought having a slip ‘n’ slide would be a good way for the kids to keep cool in summer, then we just connected the two,” she said.

“The older people were squirting detergent onto the slide and seemed to enjoy watching the kids have fun.

“All the firemen got talking to the people there and it was really good for building community relations.

“When they left they put the siren on and everyone cheered.”

Around 80 people attended the event, which was sponsored by Bangalow Men’s Shed, at Bangalow Heritage House and Museum.

Older people and young families also got to know each other through activities such as potting rainforest seedlings, making butterfly mobiles out of felt and paper, face painting, bubble blowing, music and dancing.

Winton-Brown, a retired pre-school teacher from Possum Creek, was inspired to start the non-profit organisation after learning about a trial program called Generations Together in England and reading Marc Freedman’s book How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting Generations.

She said the autumn event will be held on Sunday May 4, with activities to include making a present for Mother’s Day the following weekend.

“We’d love to see more families with pre-school aged children there,” she said.

For more information, follow Connecting Generations Bangalow on Facebook.