Our intergenerational project Care Home Friends and Neighbours: Intergenerational Linking is linking young people aged 5-14 from schools and youth groups with older people living in care homes.

So far, so much great work has happened and lovely connections have been made in our first two projects, despite difficulties posed by the pandemic:

Alive, Bristol

Alive’s Intergenerational Linking project started in August 2020 and is based across East and South Bristol. They are linking Bristol young people, including those from local youth groups, with older people living in care homes. A key focus of this work is to promote social action across the generations, empowering both younger and older people to have a positive impact on their environment and the community.

Alive’s project is using the idea of #OneGoodTurn and has been successfully forging new connections through the pandemic, despite all the difficulties posed by COVID-19, by inviting participants to perform ‘good turns’ for each other and boost each other’s wellbeing.

Over the festive period they ran a “Jars of Joy” initiative to share hope and kindness and to demonstrate solidarity with older people living in care homes and show that the community was thinking of them.

Both younger and older people filled jars with poems, jokes, treats, decorations and artwork, before sending them off to others across the city. In total 179 jars were exchanged across the generations to postcodes all over Bristol!

Some people living in care homes also chose to make wellbeing boxes and hampers to take to the local foodbank. From there they went to pupils and families at a nearby school and were very appreciated.

At the start of 2021 the project began a focus on intergenerational resolutions. New participants and those already involved were invited to pair together across the generations to pledge their ‘one good turns’ for 2021. The pandemic and repeated lockdowns have demonstrated the importance of community connection and solidarity more than ever, and Alive hope to focus on more intergenerational activities and positive acts this year that are collaborative and involve giving back to one another.

As well as this, younger and older people have been making use of digital platforms to share photos, messages and videos with one another in a safe way.

Watch this beautiful video of Begbrook Primary connecting with MHA Hartcliffe Nursing Home through singing and artwork!

The Linking Network, Bradford

The Linking Network’s project in Bradford started in July 2020, pairing schools and youth groups with local care homes and supporting participants to ‘share their story’ with each other.

In the Autumn Term, staff from the linked school and care home came together in a virtual meeting to find out more about each other and to plan the first phase of the link.

Back in the classroom, teachers introduced the project to their classes. To support this, The Linking Network created resources for teachers to help children explore what a care home is and who might live and work there.

Children then thought carefully about their own identity and stories before creating cards and messages to introduce themselves to the people living in their linked care home. Care home staff also supported the residents living in the care home to send their own messages to the children at the linked school.

Children were excited to find out the stories of each of the residents they now had a connection to and have loved receiving messages back – for example from Willow Bank Care Home who sent through a lovely series of photo messages to their linked school as a way of introducing themselves. One class were amazed to learn that Margaret went to the same school as them when she was a child!

Many of the links have continued throughout the challenges posed by lockdowns and home schooling, including exchanges of Christmas cards and beautiful artwork. As children and young people begin to find out more about the residents of their linked care home, they will be encouraged to take ownership of the next activities in the project.

Watch The Linking Network’s progress in Intergenerational Linking so far:

New grantees

We are thrilled that 9 more organisations have received a grant from The Dunhill Medical Trust to create a new Intergenerational Linking project in their local area, connecting care homes to local schools and youth groups. The new grantees are:

• Curriculum and Language Access Service, Bury
• Enfield Town Schools’ Partnership
• Global Education Derby
• Leeds Development Education Centre
• Plymouth Diocese
• Sensory Trust, Cornwall
• St Philip’s Centre, Leicester
• Windmills Foundation, Sefton
• Woven Nest Theatre, Newcastle

We are very excited for this next stage of the project! You can read more about these organisations and the project here.

National Advisory Group

We are currently looking for new members to join our current National Advisory group for this project. The Advisory Group meets a few times a year and helps to guide and support the work of the national project team. We particularly wish to focus on stronger representation from currently underrepresented groups. See more information here. 

This project is funded through the #iwill Fund. The #iwill fund supports the #iwill campaign, which aims to make involvement in social action a part of life for a many young people as possible, by recognising the benefit for both young people and their communities.  The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department of Digital, Culture, Media & Sport are each investing £25 million seed funding to create the #iwill Fund.

The Dunhill Medical Trust is acting as a match funder and awarding grants on behalf of the #iwill Fund. We are so grateful for their support.

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Care Home Friends and Neighbours: Intergenerational Linking is an exciting social action project that is linking together young people aged 5-14 from schools and youth groups with older people living in care homes. There are currently 11 local projects running across England.

We hope that younger and older people will form meaningful intergenerational relationships that are mutually beneficial, and that long-term, sustainable links will develop between the schools, youth groups and care homes. See more info on the project homepage.

What does the Advisory Group do?

Through the expertise, experiences and perspectives of members, the national Advisory Group guides and supports the project team for Care Home Friends and Neighbours: Intergenerational Linking who are delivering this work in multiple locations across England.  The Advisory Group meets a few times a year, both in person and virtually. Reasonable expenses are covered by the national project fund.

Who should apply?

We are looking to expand our Advisory Group membership to:

• those interested in intergenerational activity
• and/or those with experience working with young or older people
• and/or those with experience working within less socioeconomically advantaged communities
• We also wish to focus on stronger representation from currently underrepresented groups, including minoritised groups such those from ethnic minority backgrounds and/or those who identify as LGBTQIA+ and/or those living with a disability.
• We welcome applications from young people. If you are a school and have a pupil who might be interested, please get in touch with us and we can provide further support.

Interested in applying?

If you identify with any of these currently under-represented groups and have an interest in or experience of intergenerational practice, please download the Expression of Interest Form for more information and to complete your application.

Please return it to intergenerational.linking.1@outlook.com by Friday 4th June 2021

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As someone who is passionate about all things intergenerational, I think this project presents a meaningful opportunity to spark engagement between care homes and children across England, at a time when we will really need this connection most. The organisations we are partnering with over the three years of the project already bring their own expertise to what will be a very insightful journey, and I can’t wait to learn more. 

I have more than 20 years of experience working in community development as a practitioner, but even more so as a researcher and educator. My first volunteering role was when I was 15 years old, and I learned straight away the importance of building ties with one’s community. I am both American and British, and during my career I have worked in a wide variety of places and neighbourhoods – from Miami Beach, Florida (my hometown) to New York City, across Romania, and throughout the UK. 

In my academic career, I specialised in community development, social policy, and specifically social entrepreneurship and impact measurement. When on a break after having my son, I was approached by a friend to help her set up a new nursery in an residential care home for older people. My friend Judith and I then went on a multi-year adventure creating Apples and Honey Nightingale, which opened its doors in September 2017. 

From then on, I have worked exclusively in the field of intergenerational studies. I have spent the past couple of years working with a range of organisations piloting new intergenerational models in housing, primary education, and care homes. My specialty is in designing impact measurement and research frameworks for intergenerational projects. I use a lot of different methods, depending on the size and scale of an intergenerational project. However, the values that are at the centre of any research endeavour are to empower the voices of participants and share learning far and wide.

For this intergenerational linking project, we are using a mixed method case study design, using a variety of methods including theory of change frameworks and appreciate inquiry styles. What this means is we will regularly collect reflective learning from our local community brokers in our project areas across England. We will also capture insight at our collaborative Sharing Network meetings. Each area project will work with their communities to identify the elements of their story they want to share in their own words. 

In addition to this ground up approach, I will be exploring how each intergenerational linking project shapes and changes their local communities over the 18 month period. Our hope is that by capturing the learning in all of the areas taking place at the same time, we can create a body of knowledge to share with those interested in intergenerational studies. We will use this website as a space to communicate to our stakeholders the learning that takes place. 

Visit the project homepage to find out more about Care Home Friends and Neighbours: Intergenerational Linking.

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As part of our Care Home Friends and Neighbours: Intergenerational Linking project, we’ve created 7 step-by-step resources to encourage young people to connect with older people living in care homes this winter.

The resources are fun to make and include activities such as making a handmade reindeer decoration, a winter word search and a festive question sheet designed to reflect and reminisce about Christmas and winter!

The video below gives a preview of all the activities, and you can see and download the activities here.

Care Home Friends and Neighbours: Intergenerational Linking is an exciting national initiative from My Home Life England and The Linking Network.

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We know that community engagement is a key priority for care homes.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have recently identified community engagement as a key characteristic of outstanding care homes. Community engagement is also important for care homes wishing to drive up their reputation, attract the next generation of potential employees into the care home sector and, most importantly, to help residents to connect with the people, places and things that really matter to them.

In addition, establishing links with the community that aren’t face-to-face is even more vital given social distancing and the loneliness it can create.

If you’re interested in developing closer links with your community, the new community engagement course led by My Home Life England might be for you!

It’s for: Senior team leaders/Activity coordinators / wellbeing coordinators/ community connectors.

We will cover all you need to know about getting started in community engagement. We will send you a box of materials that will accompany the course.

Details: 1 introductory call. 1 individual coaching session. 3 virtual sessions (2.5 hours each). Sessions take place once every three weeks. Cost = £500.

During workshops you will be:

• working with small groups of like-minded practitioners and get to share experiences of community engagement and gather ideas to put into practice.
• supported to consider what groundwork needs to be in place to help your care home feel welcoming and encouraging of outside individuals and organisations.
• Considering how best to get the most out of current community relationships.
• Mapping your local community assets.
• Developing skills and growing confidence in approaching people from communities to engage with you, for example new people, schools, businesses and clubs.

Read more and sign-up here.

My Home Life England has been working with care homes for over 14 years and created the Care Home Friends and Neighbours programme to make it easy for care homes to support neighbourliness and friendships that help care home residents feel cherished and part of civic and community life.

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We’re thrilled to announce that up to 10 grants of up to £31,000 are available from The Dunhill Medical Trust to create an intergenerational linking project in your area of England, as part of the national initiative Care Home Friends and Neighbours: Intergenerational Linking.

Care Home Friends and Neighbours: Intergenerational Linking is an exciting national initiative from My Home Life England and The Linking Network. We’re promoting young people’s engagement with care homes, by linking together schools and youth organisations with older people living in care homes across England. 

The project is funded through the #iwill Fund.  The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department of Digital, Culture, Media & Sport are each investing £25 million seed funding to create the #iwill Fund. The Dunhill Medical Trust is acting as a match funder and awarding grants on behalf of the #iwill Fund.

Amongst other essential criteria, to be eligible for a grant the proposed project must reach older people living in care homes and young people in the 5-14 age bracket from schools and youth organisations, particularly young people whose voices are seldom heard.

Please read the following information:

• Essential Eligibility Criteria for Grants
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Project Information Sheet
• Grantee timeline
• TNLCF Safeguarding Policy
• #iwill Sample Funding Agreement

You can also watch a full recording of our project webinar here.

If you are interested in applying for a grant, we strongly recommend that you first get in touch with the national project leads, Jen Lindfield and Amy Lock as soon as possible.

To apply for a grant, submit your Expression of Interest Form to The Dunhill Medical Trust here. Deadline is 5pm 13th November 2020.

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On Wednesday 7th October 4-5:30pm we’re hosting a free webinar all about our Care Home Friends and Neighbours: Intergenerational Linking Project, linking young people from schools and youth organisations with older people living in care homes across England.

We’ll be sharing more about:

• Our free materials and resources
• How a tailor-made programme of work could help you make intergenerational linking a possibility
• Applying for a grant in England from The Dunhill Medical Trust to create a new intergenerational linking project in your local area

This webinar is especially relevant for:

• Community organisations
• Local authorities
• Charities
• Education professionals
• Social care professionals

Sign up here

Download our webinar flyer and see more information our project home page, including documents you may find useful if you are interested in applying for a grant.

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Care Home Friends and Neighbours: Intergenerational Linking Project is an exciting national initiative from My Home Life England and The Linking Network, combining expertise on quality of life for older people living in care homes with expertise focused on young people and inclusion.  The project has adapted to new ways of working and is tapping into the wealth of resources, capabilities and networks that young people and older people bring to their communities.

The project is funded through the #iwill Fund.  The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department of Digital, Culture, Media & Sport are each investing £25 million seed funding to create the #iwill Fund. The Dunhill Medical Trust is acting as a match funder and awarding grants on behalf of the #iwill Fund.

Follow us on Twitter here!

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Many care home residents are missing visits from loved ones and are feeling isolated during this pandemic, so gifting a geranium is also a great way of bringing joy in these challenging times and helping residents to remain connected to the community around them.

Tony launched the campaign on his birthday with a visit to Atfield House, run by Barchester Healthcare, where he presented the hard-working team with some geraniums. He also received a surprise treat from the chef to mark his special day! Atfield House is part of the Care Home FaNs: North West London initiative, funded by The Mercers’ Company.

The Mayor of Hounslow said:

“This is such a simple idea – acquire a geranium and gift it to a care home! I bought mine (a deep red Lord Bute and a scented Old English) during the Chiswick House Pelargonium Sale and dropped them to Atfield House on St Johns Road, Isleworth.

“Although assisted by London Borough of Hounslow, care homes have been largely ignored or taken for granted by higher powers during this current emergency. It would be good for them to know that the staff, residents and their families have not been forgotten.

“I would encourage Hounslow residents to show appreciation, preferably buying a plant from an independent florist or retailer, then to safely drop it on the doorstep at one of the sixteen participating settings listed on the Mayor’s web pages here.”

“May I also say that this event also coincided with my birthday, so I would like to thank Robert the Chef for making the lovely cake which I enjoyed and shared with the residents at Atfield House!”

You can read more about the Mayor’s visit to Atfield House here.

Stacey Gardiner, Customer Relationship Manager at Barchester Healthcare, added:

“Monday’s visit from the Mayor was a huge success. He took his time to chat with residents and staff and was so complementary about the hard work we had all put in over this time.”

A big thank you to the Mayor of Hounslow for bringing joy to care homes within his community. We hope that his campaign inspires many more people to Gift a Geranium to their local care home!

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We’re delighted that the June 2020 edition of the Care Management Matters (CMM) e-book features an article from My Home Life England and Care Home FaNs about the impact of COVID-19 on community engagement, and how the community and care homes can still come together at this challenging time, despite the restrictions and social distancing.

The piece touches upon our Conversations with Care Homes YouTube series sharing insights from managers across England, stories of kindness from the public including donations of PPE, innovative ways of keeping residents connected including through technology and digital platforms, and our resources for remote intergenerational linking

Read the article in full here (from p30).

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Residents are missing visits from loved ones and many are feeling isolated during this pandemic. Acts of kindness keep spirits up in these challenging times and help residents to remain connected to the community around them. Dropping off a jolly geranium is sure way to bring joy!

If you’re a care home and you’d like to be involved – why not use this Tweet to spread the word:

Happiness can’t be potted but pots can bring joy! Visiting a garden centre or have spare plants? Drop a geranium at your local care home [/at care home name] and see smiles bloom! #GeraniumJoy #flowerpower @MyHomeLifeUK

You can also download our #GeraniumJoy resource: Geranium Joy social media post (264 downloads)

We’d love to hear from you!

If you’re dropping off a geranium, or if you’re a care home that has had one delivered – please send us in a photo at mhl@city.ac.uk 

Wellesley Road Care Home Manager Michele Tricker got in touch to thank her local NW3 community for bringing #GeraniumJoy to Wellesley Road:

“During the COVID crisis, we’ve not been able to welcome visitors and relatives into the care home as we normally do.

Being given a geranium by the local community is a lovely sign that people appreciate what we’re doing – and the residents love flowers, too!”

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