Dear LPG, 

This year Lewisham has had the distinction of being London’s official Borough of Culture and there have been many groups and organisations doing their bit to make sure that this fact is recognised.  I got involved and, after a year of work our big event happened last week.

For the past few years, since I retired, I have put what computer skills I have to good use by volunteering my Friday afternoons while visiting a small IT group to share them.  Sometimes volunteering can get difficult for the retired volunteer or service user.  There are the days when your aches and pains get a bit much, the weather looks a bit overcast, or you just don’t feel like it.  It can be easy to not attend every now and then and, if you are not careful, you can become one of those who miss more weeks than you visit.  

Our group got to that stage before a new organisation and revamp brought a few more people in.   Sorting our visitors’ computer problems, accessing the internet, and learning to write emails is what is expected, and we now have a group that help with any problem that is brought to us, but for one student who came wanting something new to do we started getting involved with film.

We made one or two bits of film and learned a bit about one way that some of us older people can make internet content as well as access other peoples’.   

We then heard about the opportunity to put on an event to commemorate the Lewisham year of Culture and got involved.  The most important aspect of our Friday afternoon film sessions was that we had fun, and we decided to do it like the real filmmakers by reinventing the film section of the group and calling it Codger Productions.

With a few new people interested in the group, we spent a year making a few really short films and learning about some of the skills needed along the way.  We then staged our own premier night.  Though the audience was small it was a really big deal for us.  

Our hard work really paid off though, with our audience including Deputy Mayor Cllr. Brenda Dacres, really showing us that our collection of short films was worth the effort.  Now our plan is to get these films online before we start on our next project, but the point of posting a little of our story is to remind readers that it is worth getting involved and getting out there to learn something new or do something outside your comfort zone.  

They say that whatever pastimes you pursue after you retire keep your outlook younger as you get older, and I think that our little group will agree that getting involved can pay serious dividends.

Maureen B 
For LPG and Codger Productions 

Just in case getting involved with film or sorting out a computer issue interests you, here are the details of our Friday afternoon venue… 

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