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July 2006

In a number of towns across the state, older and younger people are beginning to plan to work and play together.

Two years ago senior students in Queensland high schools told Older People Speak Out they would like a lot more to do with older people – namely in the generations over 60.

We were also told by older people that one of the causes of their fear of crime was youths gathering together in the streets.
When we got both young and old people together, they agreed that they would plan ways they could teach each other and develop projects of mutual benefit.

The outcome of this has been Generations A Go-Go, a kit that not only shows what some of the young and old are doing together in some communities but also explains how they go about it, lists lots of activities that can be done together, and some of the successful social outcomes of pilot projects.

One of the earliest and most successful intergenerational projects was set up by Pensioners and Superannuants President Yvonne Zardani. For years now she has been running an intergenerational Mini Olympics between a retirement village and the local school, to the great enjoyment of everyone. The Seniors’ Week Schools Competition was also her initiative.

OPSO has been holding intergenerational Parliamentary Debates in Parliament House for the last two years.

Now, the OPSO Generations A Go-Go kit will help to spread intergenerational projects across the state.

There are many advantages in linking the older and younger generations together.

The first is the skills we can share. In one town, for example, the young started an SMS group with a large group of older people. Once the activity got under way, they decided to have the older people teach them ballroom dancing, while a group of older men suggested they work with the students to make a video production.

Another project has been to involve Senior students with Meals on Wheels, sharing the delivery of meals with older members. A similar project is a plan to link younger people in a Junior Neighbourhood Watch.

The intergenerational project concept has also been very effective in helping to reduce the number of young offenders.
One town has used this approach so effectively that in the last three months there have been no new offenders before the courts!

The townsfolk had an initial meeting of interested residents and decided to invite community members and business owners who had previously been targeted by youths to hold a BBQ. They found that, once personal relationships were struck between youths and townspeople, they stopped offending against those people.

At the same time, that town has arranged various projects to give literacy and numeracy courses to the youths in the area who needed these skills in order to have job opportunities.

The same town runs a well-attended disco two nights a week. Young and old people are involved in its operation and planning.

The shed concept in which youth is taught by older tradesmen how to pull down and re-build a car has been started in a couple of towns and been met with great enthusiasm – a great way to learn new skills.

In another town, a motorcycle was donated for a similar project to rebuild and raffle for funds to continue the rebuilding project.

The southern Gold Coast is taking up the intergenerational approach in a major way, and is drawing the older generations together to plan projects with youth. These projects will give young people not only activities – both intergenerational and youth-specific – but places to hold them.

– Val French,
President