Last month we were delighted to hold Intergenerational England’s first meeting at Westminster. With huge thanks to Lord Syed Kamall for so kindly hosting the event.
It was an absolute honour to welcome such an esteemed and diverse group of people who contributed to a highly productive conversation around the power and place intergenerational connection can and should have within the fabric of society.
Having the room filled with MPs, members of the House of Lords, volunteers, intergenerational organisations, musicians and representatives from funders, housing providers, social care, research, architecture, and youth social action meant we were able to discuss, debate and benefit from wide ranging opinion and experience.
Intergenerational England is such an important initiative and for those of us already invested in intergenerational practice, it is a huge and exciting step forward in embedding a culture of intergenerational thinking across the sectors and all aspects of society.
Amongst those who attended, debated and shared were:
Bobby Duffy, author
Charlotte Miller, Co-Founder Intergenerational England
Crispin Truman OBE, Director, Rayne Foundation
Delve Architects
Emily Abbott, Co-Founder Intergenerational England
Baroness Finlay
Graham Warr, volunteer lead, Intergenerational Music Making
IMM-Music
InCommon
Jeremy Hughes CBE
Lord Grade CBE, Member of the House of Lords
Lord Syed Kamall, Member of the House of Lords
Magic Me
Lord Markham
Omair Haider, Managing Director, Millennium Care Group
Prof Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England
Sami Gichki, Strategy and Initiative Leader, #iWill Youth Ambassador
Sarah Mitton, Age Friendly Communities Manager at Clarion Housing Group
The Mayor of the City and District of St Albans, Cllr Anthony Rowlands and Mayoress Annie Stevenson
The National Lottery Community Fund
Together Project
Baroness Uddin
We were honoured to welcome, Strategy and Initiative Leader and #iWill Youth Ambassador, Sami Gichki who said:
“Working intergenerationally. Something that's not valued at the level it should be in modern society. The use of your age to determine what opportunities you access, to determine your value or whether you're the "right fit", gives ageism a place to thrive. That's exactly what Intergenerational England is trying to combat by promoting Intergenerational working within communities and organisations. By being a catalyst of change and leading with innovation. Promoting us, as communities, working in unity to face social challenges that plague modern day Britain. The values of the organisation and #iwill are the reason why I felt empowered to speak alongside Charlotte Miller and Jeremy Hughes CBE at the House of Lords last week. The ability of young people to have the power to create change can be attributed to their empowerment by those within their communities; for me this was my Mentors. Intergenerational communities let us empower each other to create change. The key to the future we want.”
Get Involved
We are building a valuable bank of resources and invite you to share your case studies, research and resources to enable us to continue to build awareness and a wider understanding of what is happening in the sector and why this practice is so important To provide resources and keep updated on the development of Intergenerational England please contact: emily@intergenerationalengland.org
Next Steps
The next step in the development of Intergenerational England will be a two-day residential event at St Georges House, Windsor Castle and the end of this month. Action plan …. Celebrate IE by sharing a post across your own platforms.
Whilst we are still very much in the development stage of shaping Intergenerational England, we invite you to follow our channels and keep up-to-date on next steps:
Intergenerational England a Summary:
Intergenerational England is new initiative that brings together public, voluntary, and private sectors to tackle ageism through integration rather than segregation.
The main goal of Intergenerational England is to promote an intergenerational ethos and advocate for individuals, organisations and government to embrace Intergenerational ways of working
Intergenerational England is committed to shaping a brighter future by focusing on the transformative power of intergenerational connections and community cohesion.
In essence, Intergenerational England is here to help restore what has been lost from much of society and support intergenerational connections as a crucial component of community well-being. We offer a unique and welcomed solution to the challenges our society faces today.
Key Initiatives
Cross-Sector Collaboration: It combines expertise and resources from various sectors to support the intergenerational agenda.
Government Policy and Advocacy: Provides guidance and advocates for government and cross sector policies that promote an intergenerational ethos.
Research and Analysis: Centralises research and analysis to better understand the impact of intergenerational practices. Looking at cross community and cultural learning
Funding: Seeks to unlock funding opportunities for the advancement of intergenerational programmes.
Raising Awareness: increasing public attention and recognition of the value of intergenerational activity.