Minister warns of “profound consequences” if we do not bridge generation gap

10th December 2008

Intergenerational practice to bring young and older people together must be developed further to avoid real social problems for the future, Beverley Hughes MP, Minister for Children, Young People and Families told a conference in Manchester (Monday 8th December).

She warned of the “profound consequences” for the way in which the generations interact due to the demographic shift which has seen the over 65s outnumber under 16s for the first time.

The Minister was addressing an audience of 150 people involved in intergenerational work including young and old, volunteers and project co-ordinators.

Delegates discussed the perceptions and misconceptions between one generation and another, that older people were regarded by the young as “coffin dodgers,” while today’s youth were viewed as drug addicts and disrespectful.

The event was staged jointly by the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation, Beth Johnson Foundation and the National Youth Agency which have formed a partnership to further develop intergenerational community and education-based projects in England.

The Minister said:

“Young people are often written off too quickly by too many adults for social problems while older people are too often seen as out of touch by the internet-savvy-youth of today.

“These stereotypes will only deepen further as society becomes skewed towards one age group rather than another.
“This is one reason why intergenerational work and mentoring are so important. And why we have to act now to reverse these trends.”
She cautioned:

“Get it right and we can provide the support our young people need to enjoy the very best start in life. Get it wrong and I think there is a real risk we will see a breakdown in social cohesion.”

“That’s why we need to look at what is already working well to make sure best practice becomes common practice.

The conference to celebrate Intergenerational Practice heard that IT skills and discussions around social history, life experiences and image perceptions were just a few examples of the issues that can be tackled through Intergenerational Practice and mentoring/befriending partnerships within it.

Bringing young people and older people together can create a two-way shared learning experience, building up trust and respect while contributing to greater community cohesion.

One former business executive told the floor he faced severe depression and loneliness after retirement but volunteering to mentor young people in a local school in North Tyneside had changed his life.

Mike Potts, an intergenerational volunteer at St. Thomas More RC High School in North Tyneside, said:

“It just gives me some structure in my life. The technology side of it was a bit difficult for us old ones and the younger ones, well they really took their time and helped us. It was great.”

“Young people are too often demonised. Intergenerational mentoring is something that would help to overcome age-related prejudice in many sections of society and reduce isolation.”

Another participant, 14-year-old Salima arrived in Stoke on Trent from Afghanistan with her family. She spoke publicly about the support she received from an older volunteer who would sit next to her in class and help her to understand the lessons. She said:

“I am much more confident now. My English has improved and I have made new friends.”

The conference heard that a partnership between the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation, the Beth Johnson Foundation and the National Youth Agency would work together to develop and promote intergenerational practice in England.

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