Celebrating Intergenerational Week - Belong CEO Martin Rix

Belong has a long history of developing meaningful intergenerational connections in all our villages. We fundamentally believe that these connections don’t just bring positive benefits for those people that we care for, but also for the younger participants. It’s a core part of our care philosophy and one that we are continually looking to further enhance.
Now, less than a year after the opening of The Nursery in Belong at Belong Chester, its positive impact on relationships between younger and older generations is already being recognised on a global scale, with its operators, national charity Ready Generations, winning the international prize at the Generations Working Together Excellence Awards.
Intergenerational Week, which runs from 24-30 April and is also organised by Generations Working Together, provides a chance to celebrate this success and recognise the vital role of intergenerational experiences in enriching the lives of older and younger people alike.
A flavour of some of the opportunities being created at The Nursery in Belong can be seen in this short and heartwarming https://readygenerations.co.uk/the-nursery-in-belong-has-been-awarded-an....
Beyond this, Belong is developing new intergenerational approaches across its care villages, building on and enhancing the links that were already in place.
At Belong Crewe, National Storytelling Week saw primary school children visit to read their favourite books, making for an entertaining session, which also gave residents the opportunity to contribute to the development of children’s reading, writing and speaking skills.
This followed Belong Crewe joining other villages, such as Belong Morris Feinmann, in hosting intergenerational stay-and-play sessions for local children and their guardians, with a programme of activities, including singing, arts and crafts and storytelling, that is free to attend. Established through their relationship with a nearby church, it provides variety and the chance for customers to enjoy a different environment as they alternate between venues.
There has also been a continuation of partnerships with local schools facilitating intergenerational opportunities at other villages, including at Belong Warrington, where children from the local Stockton Heath primary school visit for art and cookery sessions. The community at Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme is enhanced by regular visits for storytelling and exercise classes by schoolchildren from the nearby Blackfriars Academy. Partnerships between Belong Crewe and schools and colleges has seen students and customers conduct science experiments together and take part in dementia-friendly music therapy sessions. Belong Macclesfield exchange letters, poems and artworks with pupils at the nearby St. Alban’s Primary School.
Recent one-off events have involved young dancers from KAM Performing Arts Academy, aged three and upwards, performing a variety of ballet, modern and contemporary routines for residents of Belong Wigan. Other villages welcome younger guests for special occasions, such as Remembrance Day and carol services.
Back at Belong Chester, the ‘Living Lives Together’ initiative has facilitated a wide range of opportunities, including the formation of a multi-generational choir, poetry and dance sessions, and an inclusive storytelling session led by international acclaimed performance storyteller Richard O’Neill. Projects facilitated by partnerships with external groups, including the local Grosvenor Museum and The Bluecoat, Liverpool’s centre for the contemporary arts, serve to extend reach into the local community and widen participation.
We are already witnessing many of the benefits of intergenerational connections celebrated during Intergenerational Week. Some of the first residents to move into the village are reporting how visiting the nursery has enriched their lives and given them new purpose and meaning, with their families also commenting on the difference children are making to their loved ones’ well-being. Parents of nursery children are surprised by advances in their language and interpersonal skills.
Of course, the nursery is also a setting a high bar for research, ensuring that its work is rigorously evaluated and documented. In partnership with universities, including the University of Stirling and the University of Northumbria, The Nursery in Belong is leading the way in helping understand the positive impacts of intergenerational communities.
As intergenerational practice becomes ingrained into new models of care, we look forward to sharing knowledge with other providers and acting on the findings to enhance future best practice.
As we look towards the future, I am confident that Belong can continue to play a prominent role in this important area. As our population ages, it is more important than ever that we bring generations together and provide younger and older people opportunities to learn from each other and to share their lives and experiences. We have seen first hand that there is so much to be gained by all involved.