While it is easy to say age is merely a number and laud celebrities who wear their wrinkles and silver strands with grace, closer to home, many of their peers remain unseen and unheard.
Hoping to do their bit for septuagenarians, an informal group who called themselves Hearts Ever Young (HEY) based out of Cooke Town, sprung into action. A brainchild of Regina Thomas, HEY came into being four years ago, when like minded people began meeting regularly. “Most of us were in our late 50s or early 60s and we would catch up once a month. We’d bond over games or music and round off our evening with dinner,” says Regina.
Though they initially began as a way to build connections among neighbours, within a year, the 17 members who were a part of HEY decided to look beyond themselves and do something more for their community. “Reaching out to the elderly in the neighbourhood was something we all agreed on,” says Meera Prasad, a member of HEY, adding their focus group were those who were 75 years and above, especially those who were lonely or home bound.
Greys Matter at a fun activity
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
They called the initiative Greys Matter and now in its third year, it has grown — not just in number, but also in purview. “The first meeting took place at my home with about nine women showing up. That number doubled by the time we held the next one the following month. Today, it is a mixed group of about 30 people and we gather at a nearby convent’s hall,” says Meera.
In the beginning, the group sang a few songs and played some games, “Housie is quite popular,” with the seniors, but gradually, their activities evolved. Every member of HEY brings their passion, talent and expertise to the table, and they came up with a range of sessions to engage the seniors every month. While some are serious and necessary, such as discussions on cyber security or legal experts teaching them how to write a will, others are light hearted, like a magic show or when dance teacher Diana Tholoor dropped in and taught them a few moves.
“Now, the meetings have evolved with a structure of their own. We bring in various resource groups and experts who can talk to them about issues that matter to them,” adds Meera.
Members of HEY used to organise these sessions, but today, Regina says, “These seniors have come to a point where they set the calendar. Earlier, we used to do it, but now, they sit down in January and tell us what they would like to attend or participate in during the course of the year.”
A learning session at Greys Matter
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
This Saturday, Greys Matter will be presenting their first-ever Talent Day. “They’ve written out a wonderful script and made suggestions for the music; a lot of hard work has gone into its conception. There will be a line dance, someone playing an instrument and a small art session. However, the highlight will be the fashion show, presented by the 80-plus, complete with ramp walk,” says Meera.
“There’s a lady who always sits quietly at all our meetings, but she’s going to be talking about her love for dogs at this show. Then, there’s an 85-yr-old model for the fashion show who confided that she has never been on stage in her life,” says Regina, adding that they are seeing the preparation for the event bring people out of their shell.
According to HEY, the main objective behind Greys Matter was to bring about a sense of validation among the people in this age group who feel they no longer matter or believe they have nothing to look forward to. Also, as word of Greys’ success has spread via social media and word of mouth, HEY has been getting requests to replicate their work in other neighbourhoods.
“Hopefully, more people will be encouraged to come up with something similar for the aged and elderly in their areas,” says Meera.
Published – October 21, 2025 09:51 pm IST