Intergenerational Linking

Overview:

The Linking Network (TLN) brings children and young people together with others that they would not otherwise meet, creating opportunities for them to build relationships with others who are in some ways different to them.

Bradford is a culturally diverse district with over 150 languages spoken with many multi-generational households. This context makes Intergenerational Linking particularly powerful for community cohesion as it creates opportunities to connect not only across age, but also across heritage, ethnicity, faith and background. Many of our Links are in neighbourhoods of significant multiple deprivation. Research from Age UK (2024) found that nearly a million older people (65+) in the UK are often lonely. The World Health Organisation (WHO)’s recent report declared tackling loneliness and social connection is an international public health priority - ‘Connection is not just a nice idea. It is fundamental’ (p7) Young people are also navigating a complex world which can often feel lonely and isolating. Across the country, younger and older people are living parallel lives in the same neighbourhoods; schools and older people’s settings are becoming increasingly ‘gated communities’. This disconnection is undermining trust and belonging and having a profound impact on much of our shared and common life; our health, wellbeing, democracy, economy and communities. Disconnection and isolation also creates the conditions for stigma and prejudice - intergenerational households in Bradford were stigmatised during Covid lockdowns for being a health risk, when there were many wider economic and social benefits that were ignored. In this broader social context, we continue to see how Intergenerational Linking brings shared experiences between generations, increasing the visibility of older people in their communities, improving wellbeing, creating warmth, and a stronger sense of belonging.

Purpose/Objectives:

Our Intergenerational Linking programme creates powerful experiences bringing together children and young people in schools with older people living care homes, independent living schemes or community groups. They regularly connect together in a variety of ways which enable young and older people to find out more about one another, sharing experiences that bring joy, understanding and social impact in their community By taking part in our Intergenerational Linking programme, young people recognise that their actions can bring positive change in their community by bringing friendship and compassion to older people in their community who may be socially isolated. In turn, the programme creates opportunities for young people to learn from the older people they meet and value the stories and personalities of others in their communities.

The participants:

Our Intergenerational Linking programme, first started in 2020, brings together young people in schools with older people living in care homes, independent living settings or from community groups. The programme has continually grown and developed over the last 6 years and we currently have approximately 55 intergenerational links across the district.

Benefits:

Through Intergenerational Linking, younger and older people spend quality time together at regular intervals to get to know and understand each other. Intergenerational activities vary depending on the interests and needs of the participants and the overarching aim is that positive relationships are created with different generations finding commonality, shared understanding and enjoyment in each other’s company. Creative approaches are at the heart of our links, building in the collaboration, common goals and joy that can foster meaningful interaction. As with our Schools Linking programme, our work is rooted in research around intergroup contact and how to bring different groups together in the most effective way to create positive experiences.

Recruitment:

We start by brokering a relationship between a school and local older people’s setting using our well-established connections and partnerships across the district. We aim to match settings which are within walking distance of each other, so that transport isn’t a barrier to visits and so that Intergenerational Linking takes place within a shared community creating collaboration in a particular place. Once a link is established, we work hard to embed ‘best practice’ in our intergenerational links. This involves joint training and planning sessions between the staff led by our skilled facilitator, giving the opportunity to understand each other’s context and learn more about how to get the most out of Intergenerational Linking. We promote the importance of preparation before face-to-face meetings for both older and younger people and have created classroom resources to address this which we encourage links to use. We are continually developing resources to support intergenerational sessions, drawing on research, experience of what works well and participant feedback.

Programme examples:

One example of the links TLN facilitates in Bradford is between Sandy Lane Primary School and Cottingley Care Home. Initially children from the school and older people at the care home joined together via video calls to get to know each other a little. Now a group of children from the school visit fortnightly to take part in different activities each week. An established Intergenerational Linking programme brings connection and understanding and helps bridge the gap between generations within a community. The lead teacher describes, ‘It’s such a fantastic link and we’ve got so much out of it.’ 

Another example is Miriam Lord Primary School in which children took part in our Intergenerational Play collaboration with Bradford 2025 City of Culture. Year 4 pupils joined residents for a series of sessions led by music duo ‘Reuben and the Bridge’. Generations connected through musical play. The project focused on themes of family and community, using music, movement, games and storytelling. From the first joint session, children approached residents with warmth and curiosity - greeting them individually, chatting, dancing and taking part in games and music-making together. Activities such as call-and-response songs, sing-along storytelling, percussion games and familiar music for both residents and children encouraged participation from everyone, including non-verbal residents who engaged through movement, dance and smiles. As the sessions progressed, relationships noticeably deepened. Children showed empathy, patience and confidence during the sessions, often moving independently around the circle to greet residents or sit and talk with them. A conversation with Gill highlighted the impact of the sessions on her husband Gerald, a former music teacher, who lives with dementia and is often non-verbal. During the children’s visits, Gerald became visibly more animated, engaging with the live music and joining in through movement. Another resident reflected on their interaction with the children, saying, “They spoke to me like they were adults; they were very kind to me.”

The celebration session had a joyful, party-like atmosphere. There was singing, dancing, musical instruments and scarf play, with high levels of interaction between generations. The care home provided refreshments and Bridget and Reuben marked the end of the project by presenting both the school and the care home with a trophy, allowing each child to take home a shaker as a reminder of the sessions. 

“She hasn’t stopped talking about it, and even at the weekend, she asks if she can visit the care home residents!” - Parent

“Thank you so much for organising this, you’ve all been brilliant. The residents look forward to it all week and as soon as I get name labels out, they get excited because they know it means that the children and musicians are coming soon.” - Louise, Activity Worker

Evaluation:

We regularly and evaluate Intergenerational Linking through informal observations and discussions with participants. We were delighted that our recent evaluation report of Intergenerational Linking ‘It just brings joy’, led by Associate Professor, Dr Lindsey Cameron, University of Kent, confirmed a wide range of benefits. For older people this included increased joy, engagement, renewed sense of purpose and identity as well as a reduction in loneliness.

“It just brings a smile to their faces. Their confidence comes through, their speech improves, their imagination sparks.” (Care worker)

For younger people, the benefits included increased confidence, improved communication skills, enhanced empathy and greater social awareness, with particularly strong outcomes for children with Special Education Needs & Disabilities (SEND) or who face other vulnerabilities.

“I felt really nervous my first time there because I didn’t know anyone, but now I like it because I know lots of people at the care home.” (Pupil)

Staff in both schools and older people’s settings describe increased job satisfaction, emotional fulfilment and a renewed sense of professional purpose.

“It makes a big difference for the staff as well. They like to see the residents happy because they care so much.” (Care worker)

The evaluation also found that Intergenerational Linking produced broader social benefits by strengthening community cohesion and challenging age-related stereotypes. Children developed greater understanding of ageing, while residents reported more positive views of young people. These interactions replaced assumptions with relational understanding and shared experiences. The programme fostered a sense of belonging and mutual contribution, demonstrating its value in promoting social inclusion and reducing stigma across generations

Funding:

We have been grateful to The Shroder Foundation as well as The Dulverton Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, A&B Sainsburys Charitable Fund, Bradford 2025 City of Culture, Bradford Council and the Pears Foundation for their support of Intergenerational Linking.

Sustainability:

We aim for our links to be long-term and sustainable.

Additional resources:

Read more - https://bradfordculture.co.uk/story/intergenerational-play/

Our resources are all freely available and can be found on our website here: https://thelinkingnetwork.org.uk/intergenerational-linking/intergenerational-linking-resources/

Our short video is hosted on our Vimeo channel here: here.