Bridging the Generation Gap: Inside Link to Change's Generations Project

In the modern world, the younger and older generation are stereotypically seen as living in two different realities. Everything between them is deemed as different: from opinions to technology.

However, Link to Change wanted to break this barrier.

The Generations Project does this by uniting older and younger people and has proved effective and beneficial at creating close bonds across this supposed barrier that separates them.

Everybody shares their experiences that allow both generations to learn skills and get advice from the other that will be valuable to them.

By considering everybody’s ability and mobility, activities that younger and older individuals can engage in are specially chosen to get the most out of every encounter that emphasises maximum comfort and enjoyment for everyone involved.

For many of the young people who aspire to a career in health and social services, the experience that they can get with the generation they’ll be working with is invaluable for developing and honing their skills for their future careers. For others, it was a chance to engage in conversation with people they would not normally cross paths with, stepping outside of their comfort zones.

This is what the CEO of Link to Change, Hayley Wardle, had to say about the exciting project.

“At Link to Change, we believe that meaningful connections have the power to challenge stereotypes and strengthen communities. Through the Generations Project, we are bringing together young people and older residents to share experiences, learn from one another and build genuine relationships. It is incredibly rewarding to see confidence grow, friendships develop and barriers between generations begin to disappear. As the project continues, we look forward to creating even more opportunities for people of all ages to connect, learn and make lasting memories together.”

For the older residents, they enjoyed spending time with the young people, where they can share personal stories and share powerful moments with people from a completely different circle of life it seems.

Activities included fun games and karaoke, creating special moments and memories for the older and younger people alike.

Here are some thoughts from the residents themselves:

“Very enjoyable day, it’s good for old people and young people to be together.”

“It was such a pleasure to be amongst the young. Smiling, happy and friendly.”

Link to Change is looking to do this again, and make even more special, significant moments that can be cherished forever between people that live incredibly different lives.