Session 6 – 12th April – 14.15 – 15.05

Title of Presentation:      Intergenerational Practice in Wales:

                                        A different perspective on Lifelong Learning?

Presenters:                Angela Fish†, Kathryn Addicott

Organisation: University of Glamorgan

Summary:

Intergenerational Practice can be defined as: “Structured activities, projects or programmes that enable younger and older people to work together to their mutual benefit.” Essentially, this is about attempts to bridge the gap between older and younger generations in society with the aim of promoting community development and overcoming the social exclusion often felt by both generations.

Through the development of an intergenerational project, Write-On! Learning Through Life, within the Glamorgan Outreach Unit, links were made with the Centre for Intergenerational Practice (UK) which had been initiated by the Beth Johnson Foundation.  As the work of the centre became more widely recognised, and following the development of the Welsh Assembly Government’s Strategy for Older People in Wales, and the appointment of a Children’s Commissioner for Wales, the Foundation was commissioned by WAG to investigate the feasibility of an intergenerational centre for Wales.

After consultation across Wales, the Wales Centre for Intergenerational Practice (CCIP) was based at the University of Glamorgan, and is dedicated to the aiding, and further study, of Intergenerational Practice (IP).  The work carried out by the centre, and by those actively working within this field, may also help in providing a positive lens through which to view current demographic changes in Wales. Whilst there has been a considerable focus on the potential problems that can arise from an ageing population, IP suggests that through its engagement with younger generations, older people can make a significant contribution to the development of an active community ethos in Wales.

Additionally, our involvement with the development, operation and evaluation of a specific intergenerational project encouraged us to review its potential for accreditation.  We re-organised the project’s design to offer participants an optional route with credit-bearing modules, validated via the university’s Quality Assurance Committee.  The success of this format, together with the increasing interest in IP, has encouraged us to consider the development of new modules which will link with existing ones from a range of academic schools but which underpin the concepts of IP within a wider social and economic framework. 

However, whilst there is much good practice to celebrate in Wales, significant barriers remain, such as sustainability, the short-term nature of many funding streams, and the long-established negative stereotypes about both the old and young.  The development of CCIP puts Wales in a strong position to address these problems for, as with most social practices, it is only through the creation of a supportive and progressive environment where innovation flourishes that IP will thrive in Wales. 

† Wales Centre for Intergenerational Practice (CCIP), University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd

†† Glamorgan Outreach, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd CF37 1DL