Don’t put up barriers. There are enough already out there
- Lord Kamall
- May 19
- 4 min read
The age of the internet was supposed to bring us closer together in a more interconnected world, yet many people feel that we live in a disconnected and polarised society, fuelled by hateful content on social media or negative stereotypes that younger and older people hold of each other.
On Monday 12th of May, Intergenerational England – of which I am a Trustee - publishes a new report ‘A Divided Kingdom: Steps Towards Intergenerational Solidarity’ which highlights the alarming impact of generational barriers on our society. Age segregation affects our health, with a lack of shared housing and community spaces leading to increased loneliness, which increases the risk of early death by 26%.
And although intergenerational conversations can benefit everyone through shared wisdom, care and support, with the decline of extended families, only 5.5% of children in the UK live near someone aged 65 or older. In the care sector, just 7% of older residents report regular interaction with anyone under the age of 30, despite evidence that intergenerational activities improve wellbeing and reduce depression in older adults. Could intergenerational activities also benefit those one in five children and young people aged 8 to 25 in England who suffer from mental health issues?
One barrier to intergenerational thinking are ageist narratives and harmful stereotypes that lead to resentment. Older generations are accused of hoarding wealth and blocking progress whilst young people are characterised as self-absorbed snowflakes. However, as a university lecturer, I learn as much from young students as they are supposed to learn from me. I learn how they view today’s world and how cultural norms have changed. I often wonder how such connections across generations could benefit those not only in education, but also in employment, health and community development?
Fortunately, there are many positive examples of intergenerational initiatives led by grassroots charities and neighbourhood social enterprises across the UK, giving us reasons for hope.
In December, I was invited by Intergenerational Music Making to their Guildford IMM Hub. As a very amateur guitarist in an old man’s rock band, I thought I knew the power of music but was blown away by how the IMM Hub brought generations together through music in such a meaningful and impactful way. This was intergenerational practice at its best, building bridges, breaking down barriers, and creating a shared sense of belonging.
I vividly remember a short video produced by the Centre for Social Justice a few years ago, about an intergenerational charity, where an elderly man spoke about his experience of mentoring a young boy whose mother worked all hours to put food on the table. Many a tear flowed when the elderly man explained ‘When my wife died five years ago, I gave up on my life, but now I have a reason to live.’
There are many other intergenerational examples across housing, social care and education. Blackpool Council’s Grange Park social housing development is being built with intergenerational living at its heart. Also, in North West England, Millennium Care stresses intergenerational care as an essential part of its business strategy, hosting weekly baby and toddler groups in their care homes, and organising work experience programmes and pen pal schemes with local youth charities. Their intergenerational activity strengthens residents’ connection to the world beyond the care home, benefiting from the wisdom and value that older adults offer to younger generations.
An intergenerational strategy isn’t just nice to have. Viewing healthcare through a social prescribing lens not only has huge economic benefits but can also help tackle the growing mental health epidemic in a way that conventional treatment alone won’t be able to.
Dr Claire Fuller, NHS England’s National Primary Care Medical Director, believes that "if the NHS carries on working on its own, we can only impact people’s health outcomes by 20%. The rest is governed by other socio-economic factors such as someone’s mental health, whether they are feeling isolated, and other factors relating to their environment. That’s where intergenerational work is so powerful.”
Viewing some of society’s biggest challenges through an intergenerational lens could help us to build a connected, resilient Britain, but we must stop seeing generations in isolation and start designing policy, services, and spaces that bring us together.
The Divided Kingdom report has collated evidence to tell a compelling story of how our disconnected and age segregated society negatively impacts our wellbeing. While the report calls for a National Intergenerational Fund to invest in frontline innovation and a national research fellowship to connect practitioners, communities and academics, the answer doesn’t always lie in top-down Government solutions.
Let’s encourage local civil society, councils, libraries, theatres, community centres to make intergenerational practice part of everyday life. While youth clubs and older adult lunch clubs have their role, how about sometimes bringing them together? Let’s also celebrate and learn from community champions already working and changing lives through intergenerational practice.
Let’s encourage more teachers, doctors, artists, business leaders, policymakers and (yes) politicians to embed intergenerational thinking into what we already do. Let’s all be part of a movement that connects us, locally, nationally and generationally.
We need to stop looking only to national and local government to always be the instigators of positive change. Let’s take our inspiration from Gandhi who is attributed as saying “be the change you want to see in the world.” Let’s all be part of the solution.
