We were delighted to lead this year’s launch event for the Intergenerational Social Action programme, funded by Clarion Futures, Sovereign Network Group, Places for People and #iwill. The event took place last month and brought together 15 youth groups from across the country working within Clarion, Sovereign Network Group, and Places for People communities. From Manchester to the Isle of Wight, it was great to connect with so many people passionate about youth social action and to share some tips and tricks for bringing generations together.
During the event, we supported the group in thinking about how to design intergenerational social action projects that are high-quality, inclusive, participant-led and aimed at fostering positive lifelong habits for both young and older participants. As inspiration, we explored various intergenerational projects from around the world, highlighting how each one successfully brought generations together and shifted perceptions of age - a central theme for the year.
In the next activity, the group thought about what resources they had access to at their organisation and what additional support they needed. This led to a collaborative discussion on how they could pool together, helping one another with resources for workshops, training, and impact reporting. At this point, there was a real buzz in the air, as the group bounced around tips and ideas for engaging younger and older people in their projects. It was wonderful to see the range in everyone’s skillset and how the group could help build on one another’s experiences.
To keep the excitement going, we rounded off the day with a quick fire game centred around the Lighter-Quicker-Cheaper model of project design. Teams were asked to draw cards from a hat and design a social action project inspired by their selection, challenging them to think creatively about how to make use of a specific location while working with only scrap materials. As part of this task, the groups were also encouraged to think about how their projects could change people’s perceptions of ageing.
When presenting back, the teams wowed us with their imaginative project designs. With just metal cans, tyres, and glass jars, one team transformed a library into an intergenerational, eco-hub. Utilising the cans as planters and filling the glass jars with positive messages, the library was designed to be a warm and welcoming space for all. The group also repurposed the tires to create seating areas, the aim being to connect people from different generations through conversation. They hoped that these intergenerational interactions would help change people’s perceptions of those from different generations and result in friendships blossoming.
Overall, we loved having the opportunity to meet the youth organisations involved in this year’s programme and are very excited to see what social action project the groups create and how they change perceptions in their communities. Watch this space for more updates!
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