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Great-gran's bid to unite generations

From the archive, first published Thursday 4th Jan 2007.

A campaigning great-granmother has big plans for uniting youngsters and the elderly this year.

Kath Black, 73, who runs Pondside Neighbours Group, has her sights set on uniting young and old through improvements to a youth centre on Reevy Road in Buttershaw, Bradford.

Her initiative echoes the Queen's Christmas Day message in which she called for the young and old to learn from each other.

Kath has drawn up a business plan for the centre, which is used as a base by the group, with the intention of raising enough money through fundraising and grants to make improvements to the kitchen and garden.

She said: "There will be a garden area where children can grow plants and where older people who are keen gardeners but cannot do it any more will be able to advise them.

"In the kitchen they can cook whatever is grown."

And she said she hoped the long-term aim of the plan would achieve the Pondside dream of having enough cash to pay for a new build.

She said the group was looking for more young people to lend a hand with the day-to-day running of Pondside Neighbours so they could take over at the helm if needed in the future.

But in the meantime Kath said the work generated by the group - which provided special festive trips for the elderly to Blackpool thanks to a £225 grant from Help the Aged - was keeping her just busy enough.

"It stops me from getting bored, I love it," she said.

To offer help or for more information telephone (01274) 671935.

e-mail: rebecca.wright@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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