The start of the school year in September felt like a welcome nod back to normality for children across the UK. Although the Covid-19 guidelines have brought in a new set of changes, resuming in person lessons has been important and joyful for students.
And it’s not just the children who have benefitted - children being back at school has been comforting for the wider community. Lots of our older participants in retirement homes have been lifted by the hustle and bustle that is once again emanating from their nearby primary school. One older woman told us:
“I know they can’t come here to visit us in person for a while, but I just like to hear them running around in the playground. I try and go out to the shops a couple of times a week and I walk up when it’s break time for the children. It’s just so nice to hear them out playing, laughing with their friends. I missed that in lockdown.”
The start of the school year at InCommon is always about meeting new people. In the autumn term we normally see the excitement on everyone’s faces as the younger and older people introduce themselves for the first time at our workshops. This year has been all about sparking that first connection with someone from a different generation from afar.
Across our programmes we asked over 450 older and younger people to write each other a postcard to introduce themselves and send a message of hope. People have shared uplifting stories of what they care about, what makes them laugh and what they would change to make the world a better place. We’ve heard everything from finding a cure for Covid, giving everyone a free pet, and “putting children in charge of parents”!
Each postcard is its own little world full of delightful drawings and good news stories, and we hope that they will bring a big smile to the recipients’ faces. We’re encouraging everyone across the UK to send one to someone from a different generation - maybe to a relative who you can’t see in person, or to neighbours at a local care home who might like a little surprise. Have a think about someone you know who might like to receive one, and feel free to use our template here for some ideas of what to write.