Athens reopens its ‘Friendship Clubs’ after a two-year break

People over the age of 60 will once again be able to meet up with friends, exercise, learn new skills, and participate in cultural events

Earlier this week, the City of Athens finally reopened its 25 Friendship Clubs after they were forced to cease their operations due to the outbreak of COVID. These clubs were first founded in 1985, taking into account geographical, economic and social criteria to ensure that as many people as possible can become members.

Now, they have evolved into “living cells”, where seniors over the age of 60 can come together to meet new people and participate in various activities. More specifically, they can take part in sports, psychological support groups, excursions, and cultural events. In addition to this, they can learn new skills, such as how to use digital devices.

Ensuring the wellbeing of all citizens

Commenting on the Friendship Clubs, Mayor of Athens Kostas Bakoyannis explained that the municipality has worked to improve the services they offer and guarantee the wellbeing of the capital’s elderly citizens:

“We have upgraded all the activities in each Club and, at the same time, have strengthened the program "Help at Home". In the Municipality of Athens, we make every effort so that no one is left alone, proving with targeted interventions that we are next to every one of our fellow citizens, with love and respect.”

The 25 Friendship Clubs will be open every Monday to Friday from 8 am to 3 pm. Although their operations can resume, members will still have to follow strict health requirements; that is, they must wear face masks and present valid COVID certificates.

It is important to note that the premises have not remained vacant throughout the past two years. Instead, they have served as centres for conducting COVID tests and were recently transformed into collection points for humanitarian aid for Ukraine.