Intergenerational

Younger and older people are the two groups most affected by ageist attitudes and marginalisation in our society.  The evidence shows that they feel they are widely portrayed in a negative light by the media.

Intergenerational approaches can positively contribute across a whole range of areas affecting your community by

  • • building active communities
  • • promoting citizenship
  • • reducing levels of crime and fear of crime through greater understanding between generations
  • • regenerating neighbourhoods
  • • addressing inequality

All of these can contribute to the development of a sustainable community.

Some of the intergenerational activities we support include:

  • • A skills exchange: older people support younger people to cook, create CV’s, read, knit etc and younger people support older people with IT to use mobile phones, computers, access the internet, Wii etc.
  • • Create community garden, allotment or space.
  • • Cookery/food: growing food, nutrition, learning to cook e.g. older and younger males learning recipes together.
  • • Community events e.g. intergenerational quizzes, street parties, festival of ages.
  • • Sports activities e.g. intergenerational Tai Chi, Wii sessions, archery, bowls.
  • • Arts: create public art mural at a park, shopping centre, bus stop etc. intergenerational choir and theatre groups.
  • • Community Media e.g. radio, positive images campaign.
  • • Buddy/befriending: young people support older people to access activities in the evenings by calling and escorting them to local clubs/groups and address fear of crime issues amongst community.
  • • Local history and sense of place: understanding the heritage of your locality and the diverse people that live around you.
  • • Intergenerational forum: discuss local issues and come up with ideas for activities and events to offer solutions.

Locality Links ensures the success of intergenerational work by:

  • understanding your communities’ needs
  • careful planning to bridge the generational and cultural divide
  • recruitment, involvement and ownership by participants
  • group composition and sharing ground rules
  • the right marketing
  • activities for getting to know each other
  • partnership working
  • measuring and reviewing what is delivered to improve future practice