Exploring scaling intergenerational connection

InCommon是一家将几代人聚集在一起的社会企业。我们的愿景是帮助创建相互联系、包容和对老年人友好的社区。在过去的四年里，我们发展了“连接”计划，将小学生与他们在养老院和当地社区的年长邻居联系在一起。我们正在申请拨款，以测试我们如何通过支持更多的人开展代际项目来扩大我们的社会影响，这些项目可以改善老年人的福祉，改善他们与社区的联系。特别是，本研究解决了支持晚年社会联系的挑战主题。我们的Connect项目是由各个年龄段的参与者通过迭代的共同设计过程形成的。我们对1000多人进行了这个项目，并通过代际评估领域的权威专家阿里·萨默斯博士的独立评估，验证了它对老年人和儿童的积极社会影响。我们相信，更多的人有可能从与不同一代的联系中受益。为了扩大我们的影响力，我们开发了一个模式，InCommon支持其他组织在当地合作，提供他们自己的代际活动，适应他们的社区。重要的是，我们的创新平台和支持模式将通过减少管理项目所涉及的时间和成本，并最大化合作伙伴为项目带来的价值，使这些项目在财务上更具可持续性。InCommon将为当地合作伙伴开发一个创新的在线会员平台，以便他们访问资源并简单地管理项目，同时为项目启动和运行提供个性化支持。这种模式将支持小学、住房协会、护理院和其他社区组织之间的灵活合作，使每个项目都扎根于当地社区。作为这项资助可行性研究的一部分，我们将：*开展一个试点项目，支持当地合作伙伴在5个地点开展年度代际项目。在每个地点，一所小学将与一群55岁以上的老年人独立生活在住房计划中。通过这个试点项目，75多名老年人和150多名儿童将共同学习和联系。*建立一个网上系统的原型，以管理活动的后勤工作，包括安排合适的日期和策划适当的活动，同时确保有效的保障和监测社会影响。*评估试点的成功，并对我们的模式做出改变，为将来支持更多的本地项目做准备。

InCommon is a social enterprise bringing generations together. Our vision is to help create connected, inclusive and age-friendly communities. Over the past 4 years we have developed our Connect programme bringing primary school children together with their older neighbours in retirement homes and local communities.We are applying for grant funding to test how we can scale our social impact by supporting more people to run intergenerational programmes that can improve older people's wellbeing and connection to their communities. In particular, this study addresses the challenge theme of supporting social connection in later life. Our Connect programme has been shaped by participants of all ages through an iterative, co-design process. We have run this programme with over 1000 people and validated the positive social outcomes it has for older people and children through an independent evaluation from Dr Ali Somers, a leading expert in intergenerational evaluation.We believe that there is potential for many more people to benefit from connecting with a different generation. To scale our impact we have developed a model in which InCommon supports other organisations to partner locally to deliver their own intergenerational activities, adapted to their community. Importantly, our innovative platform and support model will make these programmes more financially sustainable, by reducing the time and costs involved in managing projects and maximising the value that partners bring to the project.InCommon will develop an innovative online membership platform for local partners to access resources and manage the administration of the project simply, alongside personalised support to get projects up and running. This model will support flexible partnerships between primary schools, housing associations, care homes and other community organisations so that each project is rooted in its local community.As part of this funded feasibility study we will:* Run a pilot project supporting local partners to run annual intergenerational programmes in 5 locations. In each location, a primary school will connect with a group of older people living independently in housing schemes for age 55+. In total, 75+ older people and 150+ children will learn together and connect through this pilot project.* Prototype an online system to manage the logistics of running programmes, from arranging suitable dates to planning appropriate activities, whilst ensuring effective safeguarding and monitoring social impact.* Evaluate the success of the pilot and make changes to our model, in preparation for scaling to support more local projects in the future.