Friendship and shared activities
In the Red Cross Sirius Club, people meet others, have coffee and challenge their minds to learn new things.
The tables gradually begin to fill as the visitors of the Red Cross pensioners' club Sirius take their seats in the large hall of the Tapiola service centre in Espoo. Before that, they have passed through the coffee table, chosen their favourite treats from its abundant offerings and dropped two euros into the collection box.
This group definitely doesn’t want to stand still.
Both the coffee table and the afternoon's programme have been put together by the club's long-standing hostess, Sirkku Dölle, 82.
"Sirkku is the heart and soul of our club, a real treasure! Just think about all the work involved, like finding suitable speakers, booking transportation to excursion destinations and, on top of that, handling the catering," says the club’s long-time member Hilkka-Liisa Pitkänen, 77.
A wide range of presentations
Tapiola’s Sirius Club celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. The club was founded when the service centre contacted the Red Cross and offered its facilities for a friendship club for older adults.
"I joined after retiring, and I’ve been running the club for fifteen years. There were three of us hostesses in the beginning, but for several years now, I’ve been managing this on my own. I do hope I can get some help with this. There’s plenty to do," Dölle says laughing.
The club, which meets twice a month, has always something to offer that challenges its members to think and gain new insights. Speakers are typically invited to Sirius. This spring, there will be lectures on topics ranging from Byzantium and ADHD to the lives of Somali families.
"When I took on the responsibility of running the club, I decided to add lectures to the event calendar. The visitors have suggested interesting topics. For example, today’s lecture will be given by retired economist Simo Brummer on the topic The Journey of the Atom: From Science to the Core of the Economy."
Many of the visitors to the Sirius Club are in their seventies or eighties, and some are even older.
"Despite that, they have a desire to learn and explore new things. We’ve visited an ostrich farm and eaten insects as part of our culinary adventures. This group definitely doesn’t want to become stagnated," Dölle emphasises.
Every other Tuesday at the club
On a Tuesday in January, a group of about twenty people have gathered together, mostly from Tapiola, but also from Espoo's neighbourhoods of Olari and Matinkylä. Most are women, but there are a few men as well.
One of them is Jorma Airola, 73, an active club member.
"I first came to Sirius four years ago, invited by Sirkku. It’s always nice to come to the club because you get to see familiar faces. By the end of the afternoon, I feel happy and refreshed," Airola says.
Sitting at the same table is Anneli Kyösola, 83. She nods firmly as Airola praises the club's diverse event offerings and mentions that she reserves every other Tuesday of the month for Sirius.
"Here, I find topics of interest that I often wanted to explore during my working years but never had the time for. The club is a great place to gain intellectual content for your life and meet like-minded people. Many have become friends," Kyösola says.
Hilkka-Liisa Pitkänen says she has poor mobility and came to the club leaning on walking sticks. Her hearing has also worsened, but it does not slow her down.
"We can decide for ourselves how much power we want to give to our ailments. Do we stay on the sofa watching TV or do we dare to come to gatherings like this despite the slippery winter conditions? If you think you're no longer capable of anything, you're just harming yourself. You have to find motivation from somewhere and, usually, it comes from within yourself," Pitkänen points out.
She describes a club trip to the Fazer factories in eastern Helsinki.
"How fascinating it was to see a real cocoa tree and listen to the dedicated guide explaining the birth of chocolate! What particularly stuck with me was that one type of chocolate was said to be very harmful to mice that have settled in summer cottages for the winter. If only I could remember what exactly it is in that chocolate that’s dangerous..."
The club alleviates loneliness
Trips often include people who are not particularly interested in the lectures or other activities of the club. Dölle recalls three ninety-year-old friends who joined a trip to explore the churches of Sipoo with the club.
"The women were very interested in church architecture, and although their walking was a bit unsteady, even with walkers, their enthusiasm was clearly visible on their faces."
These low-threshold meeting places are a good way to meet others. It's easy to come here, and the club is open to everyone.
Sitting around one of the tables, Airola, Pitkänen and Kyösola acknowledge the power of the Red Cross and other organisations in reducing loneliness amongst the elderly.
"These low-threshold meeting places are a great way to meet others. It's easy to come here, and the club is open to everyone, not just retirees from Espoo. Today's lecture was even advertised in the Helsingin Sanomat event section," Pitkänen points out.
A small concern among the club's active members is the near future. The service centre may have other plans for the meeting space. If that happens, Sirius will have to find a new location.
"But Sirius won't fall because of that – we'll meet at the library if needed," Airola assures.
Text: Essi van der Ploeg
The article was first published in Punainen Risti magazine 1/2025.
