Fife Leisure Intergenerational Workplace Programme
Overview:
Our intergenerational practice is built on three strategic pillars: partnership, wellbeing, and workforce development. By addressing age-related and life-stage-specific challenges, and creating space for reciprocal learning and support, we ensure our workforce reflects and serves the community more effectively.
We collaborate with:
- Fife Gingerbread, supporting lone parents, typically aged 20–40, into employment.
- Dunfermline Young People’s Project (DYP), helping young people build work confidence.
- Scottish Veterans and the Armed Forces Covenant, supporting ex-veterans re-entering the workforce post-service.
- Developing the Young Workforce (DYW), supporting young people into work and widening our recruitment pipeline.
- The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) - Age Scotland.
Purpose/Objectives:
Fife Sports and Leisure Trust is dedicated to building an inclusive, intergenerational workplace. FSLT employs 327 staff, including 299 full-time and part-time employees, with 28 temporary contracts, alongside 225 casual staff. Our team spans a wide range of working patterns, permanent, casual, fixed-term, and term-time, supporting an age-diverse workforce ranging from 16 to over 70, our average staff age is 34. We operate across multiple venues and services with over a dozen cross-functional teams.
We embed age-inclusive practices at every level, guided by strategic insight and strong external partnerships. Our recent participation in the Age Inclusive Matrix (AIM) project with Age Scotland provided a detailed assessment of workforce needs across age groups and now underpins a live Action Plan to drive meaningful change. Alongside this, partnerships with the organisations above offer tailored pathways into employment and volunteering. With 80% of staff accessing wellbeing support last year, we are breaking down age-related barriers and building a resilient, empowered, and innovative workforce through collaboration, mutual respect, and shared decision-making.
The project aims to embed intergenerational practice within FSLT’s workforce through volunteering, work experience, and inclusive employment strategies. It demonstrates how a strong health, safety, and wellbeing (HSW) culture, underpinned by Good Work principles, can support a diverse, age-inclusive workforce. The initiative led to national recognition at the GWT Excellence Awards in 2025, the Scottish Veterans Awards, Gold ERS accreditation and Disability confident level 1 accreditation.
Participants:
Participants included FSLT staff aged 16 to 70+, volunteers, young people from DYW and DWP, lone parents supported by Fife Gingerbread, and veterans supported by the Armed Forces Covenant.
Activities:
Internally, several initiatives have been introduced that bring staff together and promote age inclusion:
- Work Inspiration Days that match young people or those looking to change careers with experienced employees.
- A redeveloped volunteering and ambassador programme offering training and employability pathways. - An intergenerational Our People Forum, a representative group influencing organisational policy.
- A champions programme, including mental wellbeing, financial, and menopause champions, ensuring tailored support across life stages.
In 2025, we undertook the AIM assessment with Age Scotland. Through focus groups and staff feedback, we identified both strengths and gaps, particularly around communication, progression for younger staff, and flexible working. In response, we implemented:
- A new Performance and Development Programme, linking career development to regular discussions.
- Expanded graduate apprenticeships and clearer career pathways for all generations.
- A new staff portal, launching soon, and internal comms strategy to improve information access.
- Exploration of strategies and policies, such as annual leave purchase schemes to enhance work-life balance.
Our workforce is diverse in role, background, and ambition. By recognising and supporting these differences through policy, partnerships, and practice, we ensure our employees can grow, connect, and contribute, regardless of age or contract type. This layered approach fosters not only retention and recruitment but a culture of mutual respect, shared learning, and long-term engagement.
Benefits for young people:
Access to work experience, mentoring, and volunteering pathways; improved confidence and employability; clearer career progression routes.
Benefits for older people:
Opportunities to mentor, return to flexible work, and engage in community leadership roles such as Pickleball Ambassadors.
Benefits for the community:
Strengthened community ties, improved access to employment for underrepresented groups, and enhanced wellbeing through inclusive volunteering and mentoring.
Evaluation:
Evaluation was conducted through the AIM assessment, staff surveys, and feedback forums. Key metrics included 80% staff engagement in wellbeing programmes and 150% growth in volunteering. Future improvements include enhanced internal communications and expanded digital training.
This intergenerational initiative is fully aligned with the Scottish Government’s Fair Work First criteria. FSLT promotes fair and flexible working practices across all age groups, ensuring staff have access to development opportunities, wellbeing support, and career progression. The organisation avoids inappropriate use of zero-hours contracts and supports effective worker voice through regular forums and feedback mechanisms. As a Living Wage employer, FSLT ensures fair pay practices. The project actively tackles workplace inequalities by supporting lone parents, veterans, and young people into employment, and by embedding inclusive policies that promote generational diversity. These practices are embedded in FSLT’s People Strategy with sustainability ensured through quarterly KPIs and strategic partnerships.
At the heart of our efforts is our ongoing Customer Highlights campaign, which showcases participants of all ages, sharing how staff have supported them through life changes, mental health challenges, recovery, and fitness journeys, illustrating the deep social value of an age-diverse, compassionate workforce. The initiative is innovative in its deep integration of intergenerational practice into organisational culture, not just policy.
Funding:
Supported through internal FSLT resources, partnerships with HPS, AIM matrix assessment project, funded by Age Scotland and recognition through the Fairer, and Healthier Economies programme.
Sustainability:
The project is ongoing. Sustainability is ensured through integration into FSLT’s People Strategy, quarterly KPIs, and continued partnerships. Our new Performance and Development Programme ensures career development stays active at all ages. The staff intranet redevelopment and staff forum infrastructure will provide long-term platforms for voice and transparency. We are also increasing digital training and accessibility to future-proof support across age groups.
Externally, we’re deepening partnerships with local charities and education providers to sustain intergenerational recruitment. We’ll expand our volunteering and graduate apprentice pathways, with new qualifications aligned to career stages.
Our champions programme will continue to evolve with staff feedback, and mental health training for volunteers will embed further wellbeing support across our teams.
By linking intergenerational values to every aspect of our workforce strategy, from recruitment to retirement, we’re building long-term cultural and operational change and plans include expanding traineeships, digital access, and wellbeing champions.
Priorities:
Aligns with FSLT’s strategic goals of inclusivity, workforce development, and community engagement. Supports local employability and health outcomes, Plan for Fife. Contributes to: Health, Fair Work & Business, Education, Communities, and Human Rights & Equality.
Scottish National performance Framework Outcomes:
Health - Promotes physical and mental wellbeing through inclusive volunteering, mentoring, and ambassador programmes (e.g. Pickleball Ambassadors, mental health first aid training). 80% of staff accessed wellbeing support, including menopause, mental health, and financial champions.
Fair Work & Business - Embeds Good Work principles and inclusive employment strategies. Offers flexible working, career progression, and development pathways across all age groups. Recognised through the AIM assessment and Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award.
Education - Provides Work Inspiration Days, mentoring, and graduate apprenticeships. Supports young people through partnerships with DYW and DWP, improving employability and confidence.
Communities - Strengthens community ties through volunteering and partnerships with local charities (e.g. Fife Gingerbread, Armed Forces Covenant). Builds leadership roles for older adults and supports veterans transitioning into civilian employment.
Human Rights & Equality - Actively confronts age discrimination and stereotypes. Promotes generational diversity and inclusion through policy, practice, and culture. Ensures equal access to development and wellbeing resources for all staff.
Children & Young People - Supports young people into employment and volunteering. Offers mentoring and career pathways tailored to youth needs. - Poverty Helps lone parents and disadvantaged groups access employment and training. Volunteering and ambassador programmes provide entry routes into paid work.