Whether forming a friendship through a hobby or simply chatting to someone at the bus stop, the feeling of connecting with another person is ultimately positive.
When those connections are made between generations – no matter if that person is 30 years younger or 50 years your senior – the benefits from them can be far-reaching.
As the UK emerges from the pandemic, ONS statistics for May 2022 show that feelings of loneliness and isolation are on the increase, with one in 20 adults reporting feeling lonely. For people of all ages, the lack of social interaction for almost two years was detrimental. By working together, society can overcome the loneliness made more acute by lockdowns.
Celebrating International Youth Day on 12th August with its 2022 theme of ‘Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages’, Ingeus is encouraging younger and older generations to connect and collaborate, in order to help each other.
From young people visiting elderly residents of retirement homes, to older people sharing their life experiences with their grandchildren or with colleagues new to the workplace, there are so many benefits of connecting with different generations of people.
What are the benefits?
- Sharing of skills and knowledge: When people of all ages work together in society, they learn from each other’s range of skills and experiences. Younger people, for example, generally find using technology easier as it is an integral part of their everyday lives, so they will be well equipped to pass on their knowledge to older friends or relatives struggling with using their smartphone or understanding social media. Older people, meanwhile, can be a valuable resource in passing down useful skills that young people may not know as much about, such as maintaining a home or managing finances.
- Improved wellbeing: For elderly people, playing with children can be particularly beneficial for mental wellbeing – improving memory and encouraging a positive outlook, as well as leaving them feeling energised. Conversely, teenagers can be positively influenced by a calmer and less anxious approach to life – qualities which age and experiences often help foster.
National Citizen Service (NCS), supported by Ingeus in the South East, East Midlands, and North East, helps teenagers develop valuable skills for work and life. Recently, our NCS teens in Leicester took the time to help improve the wellbeing of the elderly residents in their local care home, when they delivered 70 postcards with positive messages on to them. The residents were overjoyed by the messages and really appreciated the time and effort from the young people.
- An enriched perspective: Collaborating with different generations brings different values, ideas and attitudes. Whether fresh or experienced, pooling them can result in a more open-minded and ultimately stronger outlook on the past, present and future.
- Encouraging more understanding and inclusivity: As well as deterring ageism, intergenerational solidarity will contribute towards a more understanding society – a big plus given the UK’s ageing population.
Some of our NCS teens recently did a great job of encouraging inclusivity and social cohesion. They believed there was a disconnect between non-deaf and deaf residents in their local community, so they took the time to learn the basics of British sign language and teach 50 residents.
Ingeus is passionate about enabling better lives, with diversity and inclusion underpinning all that we do.
Read more about the services we offer and click here to find out more about NCS.
