BBC programmes: Intergenerational Volunteering

Intergenerational volunteering is when young and older people volunteer to get together, taking part in activities, programmes and projects. It can happen without the label being attached, but the key thing is the aim of bringing the generations together.

Magic Me

Magic Me is an arts charity that brings the generations together to build a stronger, safer community. Projects often link unlikely partners. Young people aged 8+ and adults aged 60+ team up through shared, creative activity. Intergenerational groups meet on a weekly basis in schools, museums, older peoples clubs, care homes, community and cultural organisations.

Linking Generations Northern Ireland

Linking Generations NI specialise in the promotion of intergenerational practice, providing structured opportunities to link generations, improving understanding and increasing mutual support. This contributes to the building of age-friendly communities where we respect each other, have a voice and get to play our part.

The Together Project

The Together Project runs intergenerational activities that bring joy to people’s lives. Their events reduce loneliness, improve wellbeing, tackle ageism and help integrate local communities.

Together Old and Young (TOY)

The purpose of the TOY Programme is to promote intergenerational learning and create new possibilities for senior citizens and young children to learn together and benefit from each others’ company.  We believe that this is more important than ever before across the world. People are living longer but older adults and young children are having … More

Together Old and Young (TOY) Toolkit

The TOY Toolkit is intended for anyone who wants to organise a training workshop about intergenerational learning involving young children and older people – a so-called Together Old and Young or TOY workshop.

Generations Working Together

Generations Working Together provides information, delivers support and encourages involvement to benefit all of Scotland’s generations, by working, learning, volunteering and living together.

Wyldwood Arts

Wyldwood Arts produce social arts, championing seldom heard voices and connecting communities through storytelling and the arts. They work across arts, education, voluntary and care sectors creating socially-engaged projects, specialising in intergenerational work. Through theatre, dance, film, performance, visual art and participatory projects they produce transformative programmes in a collaborative, person-centred way. Their work spans Bristol, … More

National Intergenerational Week

National Intergenerational Week is all about celebrating those moments and places where different age groups come together for shared benefit.

In changing times, parents are having children later in life, and living greater distances from their own parents. Given current impacts from Covid-19, we are having to segregate and isolate, with a particular focus on 70+ year olds being forced into self-isolation, there is a need now, more than ever, to focus on positive communities. How can we bring together older and younger generations safely in a way that supports friendship?

St. Monica Trust think it’s about time we change the way we do things.  They aim is to get as many people talking about existing intergenerational projects in their local area as possible. Find out how to get involved in National Intergenerational Week.

Let’s pool our collective experience into sharing ideas for tackling social isolation – whether through in-person events or via online sessions and emails, phone calls and social media. Share your ideas for supporting intergenerational connections on the hashtag #IntergenerationalWeek

Intergenerational projects and cinema

Cinema can be an inspiring and powerful tool for developing intergenerational projects. Find some inspiration on this page about previous and existing projects, or information for further research and planning ideas. Share your organisation’s projects or those local to you with the online world during #IntergenerationalWeek

Online ideas

Could you:

  • set up a watch party between younger and older individuals and have a chat on Zoom/Skype after the film?
  • run an online drawing, poetry or drama workshop, using a film as a theme?
  • watch some archive film available through BFI Player or a regional archive website, and run a reminiscence workshop online?
  • buddy up a younger person and an older person to have a chat online each week about a short or feature film they’ve seen?

Share your experiences

We would love to know about your Intergenerational film or cinema project at Inclusive Cinema. If you’d like to submit your own case study, please download this Inclusive screening case study template and submit it to toki[at]filmhubwales.org, so we can share your experiences, too.

Local 12: Generation to Generations uses film for intergenerational mentoring