Arun Intergenerational Project

Arun Intergenerational Project

Project Report

Executive Summary

Arun Local Strategic Partnership funded Age Concern West Sussex to run a Intergenerational Project for 2 years. The aim of the project was to celebrate intergenerational work and stimulate and start up more. A Community worker was employed and reported to a LSP steering group.

Partnership working and sustainability were key for the project. It also aimed to include many aspects of the Community strategy “Our Kind of Place”, health, education, leisure etc. Partners included schools; youth clubs; activity centres for older people, older people led groups, the District Council, leisure and sporting facilities of many kinds.

There were a wide range of activities organised as part of the project these are detailed in the main report, they included a video made by the Pagham and Rose Green Youth Club with older people from the area and members of the Laburnum centre exploring stereotypes of age. This was followed by a visit from meridian TV to explore the issue further and at the end of the project University of Chichester picked up the theme with a very interactive “dressing a manikin” event which lead to myth busting posters being printed.

U3A expanded their story telling working with the Arun DC Parks Department and Littlehampton Community School’s steel band worked with the Tamarisk centre. The U3A and the Arun Youth Council held a debate in the Council chamber, an event we hope may become an annual one.

These projects are being highlighted by IDeA Age Concern England and the Beth Johnson Foundation so have reached a wider audience.

There was a survey of 39 of the partners in this project, the results of which are very positive with 91% indicating the partnership working was very good or good for their projects and 99% positive in developing good practice for the future, with 75% valuing the practical support from the community worker and the steering group.

1.  Introduction

1.1  The Arun Intergenerational Project was planned and supported through the Arun Local Strategic Partnership (LSP). In 2006 bids of up to £40,000 were invited to develop and deliver a project in Arun over two years to meet the LSP’s high level priorities on intergenerational work, stating “to bring older and younger people together for the benefit of both.” Age Concern West Sussex (ACWS) was the successful bidder

1.2  ACWS proposals were derived from its countywide project “Generations as Partners”, ACWS’s aspiration was to integrate intergenerational practice into its service delivery in Arun, as well as meet the objectives set by Arun DC to celebrate intergenerational working and encourage more. With the recent transfer of the management of the Laburnum and Tamarisk activity centres in Bognor Regis and Littlehampton to ACWS from Arun DC, it was perceived that it would be able to provide additional opportunities for this process.

1.3  The funding provided employment of a community worker based with ACWS in Littlehampton, initially for 3.5 days per week, and then reducing to 2.5 days per week after 6 months. The Project was guided and supported by a steering group which consisted of a representative from Arunwide Council for Voluntary Services (Arunwide CVS), Arun District Council (ADC), West Sussex Primary Care Trust (PCT) and ACWS. The project reported regularly to the Arun LSP Steering Group and participated in the Arun LSP annual conference.

Partnership working and sustainability were key elements of the project. Partnership working turned out to be an advantage, not only in terms of raising the profile of intergenerational practice with partner organizations, but also proved to be the most pragmatic way in which to maximize the limited resources directly available to the project and to encourage sustainability.

1.4  Arun LSP identified the target groups as older people (over 60) and younger people (under 18) in Arun. The ambition of the project was high. It included health, education, leisure activities, the environment, community safety and other community priorities of the Arun Community Strategy: “Our Kind of Place”. The LSP was particularly keen that the project would deliver work across the whole district, this would include the most isolated and disengaged members of the community and that it would become self-sustaining. It also stated that its preference would be for a project which would demonstrate partnership working and support from the local community.

1.5  ACWS set out its anticipated outcomes. It identified the overall aim as: “to see positive intergenerational working within the Arun District Council area, which will be of positive benefit to the local community and in recreation and fun activities”. Age Concern generational definitions were adopted. These are: under 25’s, 25 – 50, and over 50’s

2  Delivery of outcomes

2.1  Partnership working played a large part in the delivery of the project. Potential partners were identified early in the project and approached to explore possibilities for joint working and any likely barriers discussed. With limited resources available the disadvantages are far outweighed by the advantages of shared resources, contacts and ideas.

2.2  The project was kept well informed of good practice standards in intergenerational working, through regular training events arranged by the Beth Johnson Foundation, Age Concern England’s Centre for Intergenerational Practice and through their newsletters and websites. The project also liaised with Generations as Partners in Horsham, local network events and took part in training provided by the NSPCC. Well established local projects were also consulted, for example, the annual WWII oral history project at Rose Green Junior School.

2.3  The original mapping exercise became unnecessary as ICIS and the introduction of Partnership for Older People Project were charged with mapping services. The project did make an impact in getting intergenerational clubs and groups to state this explicitly on publicity and on the ICIS website, (for example a tennis club that prided itself on intergenerational work did not show this on listings in the district but now does). A large number of groups were contacted through ICIS (the information bank for West Sussex); Arun DC’s website; list of local organisations; WSCC’s list of youth clubs and ACWS’s own database. ICIS is now to include intergenerational practice in the information which it gathers about local organisations.

2.4  A number of activities were organised, some of which were intended to be models for future ventures. A variety of media was utilised, including film, photography, music, storytelling, pond dipping and debate. There was discussion, role exchange and visits to local attractions. (See the box below). Other ideas were explored but are yet to be developed. These included IT and mobile phone tuition from young people for older people, oral history, neighbourhood family workshops (including grandparents) which will be the catalysts for skills exchange including preparation of food, nutrition and budgeting, bicycle maintenance, gardening/growing produce and first aid. A school allotment project is also planned.

Examples of Events and Activities

A. Stereotype challenge

The piece of work which has attracted the most attention is a music video project which took place over February half term in 2008, initiated by the Pagham and Rose Green Youth Club. “Minority not Majority” http://web.mac.com/m_c_hall/Site/Music_Videos.html, (scroll down to Minority not Majority). This examines generational stereotypes, the theme chosen by the young people. The role of the intergenerational project was to bring in older people willing to dress up as stereotypical young people and some of the filming to took place at the Laburnum Centre, an activity centre for older people, where young people dressed up as older people joined in activities there. It won the youth section of the End of the Pier International Film Festival 2008. It really is something that Arun can feel proud of. The lyrics and rap-music were composed by Jordan Alan-Phillips, a member of the Youth Centre. The project was funded through the West Sussex Arts Partnership: “Gravity” youth arts project.

B. ITV “Fixers”

In October 2008 ITV Meridian Tonight broadcast a follow up to it, as part of its “Fixers” series. This was filmed at the Youth Centre, and around Bognor and included a debate at the Laburnum Centre which examined the theme of generational stereotypes further, chaired by Fred Dinenage.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eULTJjFylDU.
The music video and the Meridian TV follow up are now also attracting national interest in their potential to be used in the context of developing

intergenerational work. More locally its potential has been recognised in the context of community cohesion and community safety.

The Intergenerational Development Worker for Age Concern England (Tracey Berridge) said;

“The music video is fantastic. What a fabulous project. I’d love to know more”……..”Would you be happy for me to promote the film to our networks and further?”

The video and the “Fixers” debate have been shown by the intergenerational community worker at the Arun Local Strategic Partnership annual conference and at the Joint West Arun Area committee. There has been very positive feedback.

C. Steel Band

Another successful activity included Littlehampton Community School’s steel band being hosted at the Tamarisk Centre in April, when members of the Centre enjoyed having a go themselves after the band’s performance. This was so successful that the band was invited to come again and will visit other venues where older people meet.

D. Party in the Park

In June an evening party in the mini park at the Haven was organised jointly with Arun District Council’s (ADC) Parks Department and the Arun U3A. The purpose was to bring greater understanding between the generations which use the park as tensions existed and included a quiz, a treasure hunt, tree dressing and story-telling. It was well attended and U3A’s presence provided the intergenerational element through some captivating story telling.

The event provided a model which was used again by ADC Park’s Department. In the summer at Hotham Park in Bognor and it is planned to have a similar event in Wick.

E Summer Excursions

There were summer holiday activities for the younger and older members of the community with the Environmental Community Heritage Outreach (ECHO) Project at its sites:

a)Pagham Harbour Local Nature Reserve (mud dipping),

b)South Downs Planetarium (shooting stars), and

c)Hotham Park (crazy golf).

Parents and children were identified by the Bognor Community Action Network (CAN) and several members of Laburnum Centre joined in too. Transport was provided through the Laburnum Centre minibus.

At the AGM of the Friends of Pagham Harbour this venture was praised for having introduced people of all ages to the nature reserve who were previously unaware of it.

F Black History Event

The intergenerational project participated in the West Sussex Black History Week 2008, by having a stand at the West Sussex wide event to celebrate black history at Chichester Festival Theatre. The emphasis of the stand was to promote intergenerational working as a tool for conflict resolution and community cohesion. Aik Saath, a young Asian conflict resolution group from Slough provided materials from its “Partition” project, which demonstrated how an oral history project can be used to explore how past events have influenced current community tensions through interviewing its elders. It is hoped to find a venue in Arun to bring Aak Saath’s free exhibition of the project to be both informative and as an inspiration to others.

G Intergenerational Debate

The Arun Intergenerational Debate involving the Arun Youth Council and Arun U3A was held in November 2008 at the Council Chamber of Arun District Council. The topic for debate was chosen by a steering group made up from representatives of these groups. It was; “there is too much surveillance in today’s society”. The debate was chaired by Ashvin Patel (chairman, Arun District Council). The event included the launch of the Arun Community Cohesion Policy as a part of Arun Peace Week and it was attended by the Intergenerational Development Officer for Age Concern England, and a representative from IDeA.

H Myth-busting Poster

A seminar involving the Arun U3A, University of Chichester Students’ Union, Arun Youth Council and Rose Green and Pagham Youth Club was held in March 2009. The topic was to examine myths based on age related stereotypes (of

younger and older people) and it was hosted by Chichester University Bognor Campus. The aim was to produce images on which to base a design for a poster which would challenge these stereotypes. This project was initiated by Arun District Council, Community Safety Officer.

After dressing mannequins in typical clothing for each age group (young people dressed a mannequin as an older person, older people as a young person and those of middle age; a student), statements about the stereotypical behaviour of each group were made and formed the basis for lively discussion. The ubiquitous “hoodie” surfaced as an image again after the “Minority not Majority” music video was shown. http://www.bognor.co.uk/news/Bognor-seminar-closes-gap-between.5084946.jp

I Community Music

Another collaborative project will commence in 2009. The University of Chichester, Littlehampton Community School and the Intergenerational Project have been planning a sustainable community music project to involve older and younger people in Littlehampton. It was proposed that this will be hosted by the Tamarisk Centre, The South East Coastal Communities funding to the university will make this possible and will include provision of instruments and training to enable the project to sustain itself after the funded period of 30 weeks. The object is to have enjoyment playing instruments together rather than to perform a concert. Individual workshops are planned for older people, and younger people and their participants will be invited to join intergenerational sessions to follow on.

Sustainability is included, in that staff/volunteers will be offered training in facilitating further sessions which it is hoped would continue after the funded sessions.

3  Participants and Processes

3.1  After contacting a wide range of organisations working with younger and/or older people, some emerged as able and interested in becoming involved in intergenerational activities. In particular the following were regular supporters of the project: Pagham and Rose Green Youth Centre, Arun University of the Third Age (U3A), Arun Youth Council, The Laburnum and Tamarisk activity centres, Chichester University, The ECHO project, Arun District Council Parks and Greenspace, Chichester University Students Union, Littlehampton Community School, ADC Community Safety Team and Bognor Community Action Network. There were links in with some junior schools and interest was shown by members of networks such as the Extended Schools Partnerships, then latterly the Arun Community Cohesion Group and Arun Neighbourhood Network. These groups have now formed a good foundation for continuing intergenerational practice in Arun and have the confidence and contacts to do so.