GWT Education Network

Tuesday 10th June 2025, 4:00pm - 5:30pm
Online via a Teams link

Welcome to the second meeting of the GWT Education Network. 

This network aims to connect teachers, staff, volunteers and individuals who are interested, or engaged, in developing intergenerational work within the education sector, from early years onwards. 

Developing intergenerational work in schools need not always be just the teachers responsibility. Effective partnership working is so important in lessening the load for teachers and there are lots of great examples of intergenerational work which are led by volunteers, pupil support staff at all levels, and partner organisations.
This session will explore examples of of some these intergenerational programmes in Scotland. 

Guest speakers - Alec Thompson-Miller from Ace Voices & Laura Taylor from Active Stirling.

Alec Thompson-Miller Founder and Director of ACE Voices

In 2010, I decided to take a leap of faith, leave my full-time job teaching singing and choirs in Aberdeen City Primary Schools, and set out on a new freelance journey with the main aim of bringing people of all ages together in lots of different creative ways in order to help inspire positive social change. What started as a gut feeling, based on a growing awareness of the increasing depths of loneliness and disconnection felt by people no matter their age in this era of digitalisation and automation, has grown into a family of community projects called ACE Voices, soon to be 15 in August. 

During my freelance adventure so far, I have explored many different interconnected pathways into intergenerational work with one of the main aims being to strive to foster a sustainable, intergenerational culture that isn’t reliant on just one or two teachers to keep the connections/work going. Instead, it is built on nurturing positive relationships over the long-term, creative and compassionate partnerships, and gradually inspiring and empowering people no matter their age/job title/background to take their own leaps of faith into the unknown, into their own intergenerational leadership journeys.

I am very grateful to Lorraine George and GWT not just for the invitation to speak with yourselves, but also for their incredible support during the past 4-5 years of our emerging GWT/ACE Voices partnership as we worked out how to rebuild our projects post-lockdowns, and play with exciting and innovative ways of building bridges between people, communities and the wider natural world. In my presentation, I will share how ACE Voices’ intergenerational work began, how our partnerships have developed, how I work within schools, and the challenges and outcomes we have had so far including some impact stories. Looking forward to meeting you all!

Ace Voices  LinkedIn &  Facebook  

Laura Taylor - Active Stirling

Engaging with community partners to promote physical activity within IG projects.

GAT is an intergenerational programme which brings together Senior Sports Leaders from Stirling’s secondary schools with older people residing in care homes and community groups across Stirling and its surrounding communities.  The programme's mission is to break down barriers and perception of teenagers and older people, promote leadership skills in pupils, and provide physical activity to older people by bringing communities together.

 

Please join the conversation and raise awareness of the importance of intergenerational opportunities for children and young people.

Places must be booked below in order to be sent the meeting link. Please check your spam/junk folder if you do not receive the meeting link, in case the email has been directed there.