In June/July 2025, Monkstone Petanque Club welcomed members of the local ‘Elderfit’ community for an introduction to the game of petanque. The visits were arranged through club member Gareth Bartlett. Over three consecutive Fridays, a different group enjoyed the support and guidance of several club members of the MPC. The sessions lasted two hours with a break for refreshments. The Elderfit members really enjoyed playing the game and also the friendly, social interaction on the pistes and at break time. With cake and biscuits provided to go with the tea and coffee, a very enjoyable three sessions was had by all. It was pleasing to see many Elderfit participants (aged from retirement to 98 years), showing skill and abilities that perhaps they didn’t know they had. Fresh air and gentle exercise and a game of petanque proved to be a winner. Their gratitude to the club was shown with a donation that was much appreciated. Thank you Gareth and the Elderfit visitors.
Elderfit is A Community Interest Company founded by friends Tom Scaife and Gareth Bartlett. They have community sessions running throughout Cardiff on different days at various times.
………and a word from Garth Bartlett
At Elderfit, we’re proud to deliver strength and balance exercise sessions across the community. Our core aim is to reduce the risk of falls and support older adults to maintain independent, confident lives. But we also recognise that wellbeing isn’t just physical- social and mental benefits matter just as much. That’s why we’ve been developing a new community engagement programme, designed to introduce our participants to fun, accessible activities they may not have tried before.
As a member of Monkstone Pétanque Club, I knew pétanque would be a fantastic fit, combining gentle physical activity with social interaction and a good dose of friendly competition. Thanks to the generosity of club members Mike and Jeremy, we were able to host three Friday afternoon taster sessions for our groups.
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive! Our participants thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and I’ve been inundated with questions about how to join the club. A huge thank you from all of us at Elderfit to the Monkstone Pétanque Club, the committee, and the wonderful volunteers who gave up their time to share this brilliant sport with our community.
