Tips please

[Green-Moo]

We're going to hold a Bingo event in an old people's home, just for something to amuse the residents. We're going to share calling duties, but I'm on the rota

Any tips please, because I'm surprisingly nervous?

[justontime]

I think it would be worth checking out the room first to make sure that it can be set out so that everyone can hear you. On the day arrive early so that you can take a few minutes to meet the people before you start, then make sure you speak clearly and loud enough to be heard, they will be pleased to have you there and I'm sure you will find a lot of happy faces.

[Green-Moo]

I'm a bit worried about making myself heard actually. the room itself isn't that large, but it has a tiled floor so think that the background noise of chairs scraping and so on could be quite loud.

when I was a kid doing speeches etc at school my mum used to make me practice by reading tham at the top of the stairs whilst she was in the kitchen to make sure my voice carried. I'll have to practice!

[justontime]

Have a word with the people who run the home for tips about making yourself heard. If you feel nervous when you start calling, just focus on one face and don't let the number of people in the room overwhelm you. It would also be useful to have several helpers around the room so that you can stay focussed.

[Green-Moo]

the good news is that we now have a microphone. Many of the elderly people are hard of hearing so they have one as standard but hadn't thought to mention it.

The first 'event' is tomorrow, so I'm counting down now!

[mollyL]

To help the oldster's remembering the numbers you could come up with some of those verses some callers do when doing the numbers, like "Look at me, number three", something like that. I think having bingo for the oldsters is a really nice idea.

[justontime]

Green-Moo, I'm curious to know how the bingo session went. I hope it all turned out well? Will you be doing it again?

[Green-Moo]

It went really well thankyou, after a few teething troubles with the microphone. We're thinking that we might make it monthly.

[tater03]

Not calling the numbers to fast. That is one thing that I have found that annoys some people. I think that this is great that you are going to do this. I bet they will have a blast.

[Green-Moo]

we had to repeat everything about 150 times actually Tater to make sure that everyone heard. To anyone used to playing Bingo in a professional hall it would have ben farcical, but I think everyone enjoyed themselves.