Cross Party Group on Intergenerational Solidarity
3 February 2025: 17:00 – 18:30 on Microsoft Teams
Attendees
· Delyth Jewell MS, Chair, Senedd Cymru
· Rhys Jackson, Older People's Commissioner for Wales
· Rhian Bowen-Davies, Older People’s Commissioner for Wales
· Rachel Bowen, Older People’s Commissioner for Wales
· Vikki Howells, Minister for Further and Higher Education
· George Duff, Welsh Government
· Kay Smith, Learning and Work Institute
· Wayne Carter, Cardiff and Vale College
· Katherine Evans, Care and Repair Cymru
· Dr. Alan Hatton-Yeo MBE,Generations United
· Steven Crane-Jenkins, BASW Cymru
· Dr Deborah Morgan, Swansea University
· Bryan Godsell, Chair of NPC Wales
· Andrea Nicholas Jones, Action for Elders
· Ioan Bellin, Office of Delyth Jewell MS
· Phoebe Brown, Repair Café Wales
· Lolly Roberts-Biggs, Youth Parliament
· Marie-Clare Hunter, ENRICH Cymru Advisory Group
Apologies
· Peredur Owen Griffiths MS, Senedd Cymru
· Sharon Ford, National Museum Wales
· Deio Owen, NUS Wales President
· Heather Ferguson, Age Cymru
Actions
1. CPG to follow up with the Minister for Further and Higher Education to request details of intergenerational best practice and lifelong learning from around the world.
Welcome and Introductions – Minutes of Last Meeting
There were no issues with minutes from the last meeting.
Lifelong Learning - Minister for Further and Higher Education, Vikki Howells MS
Vikki Howells (VH) highlighted the Digital Heroes project, part of Digital Communities Wales, which provides digital skills training for older people. She also mentioned Powys Health Board’s project called ‘Joining Generations’ where children’s groups go into care homes, enabling older people and children to play and sing together.
VH spoke about the Welsh Government’s strategy ‘Age Friendly Wales’, noting that this involves a number of intergenerational projects such as a garden project in the Vale of Glamorgan. She also mentioned community-focused schools which recognise the importance of intergenerational learning as part of effective community engagement, noting the Welsh Government has set out guidance to support schools on how to set up intergenerational community projects.
VH talked about the positives of family learning, including the adult learning partnership in Swansea where parents, grandparents and children work together at the children’s school, which often results in adults taking on more learning.
Rhian Bowen-Davies (RBD) acknowledged the Minister’s mention of the ‘Age-Friendly Wales’ strategy, noting that she has also seen the intergenerational projects in practice and that these make such a positive impact. She said this is an opportunity to develop where lifelong learning sits within the age-friendly community vision for the future as well. VH said she agreed, asking for the Commissioner to write to her about this.
Delyth Jewell (DJ) asked which parts of the world could be considered best practice regarding their intergenerational work. VH said Wales is doing well, noting that Wales’ communities blend itself well to intergenerational work. She called for the CPG to write to her on this topic.
Alan Hatton-Yeo (AHY) highlighted that intergenerational work in Wales is strong and that there is a lot to build on. He offered to send the Minister further information and examples of intergenerational work that has been done in Wales. VH welcomed this.
Kay Smith (KS) spoke about the role of the Learning and Work Institute on lifelong learning in Wales. She then spoke about family learning, noting that it is a vital part of any adult learning and skills strategy. The Institute has done a review of family learning in Wales, before developing a framework for family learning that will be released in the Spring. She also mentioned the Institute’s ‘Inspire!’ Awards which celebrate lifelong learners, highlighting that the Institute has launched their call for nominations for the Awards.
KS gave an overview of family learning, which is learning that includes a child or young person, and another generation of the family, where there is a focus on helping adults to develop the skills to support children’s learning. The Institute is focused on increasing adult participation in learning which improves health and well-being. Family learning builds trust with the school setting and raises aspirations of both children and adults, as well as their confidence. She also noted that it is powerful for children to see adults wanting to learn.
Wayne Carter (WC) spoke about a scheme where staff from Cardiff and Vale College reach out to parents by holding family engagement events, talking with parents in the playground and running surveys to find out what they want to learn about and remove any barriers to learning. He highlighted that this is a bespoke adult learning programme, which is focused in the areas of highest levels of deprivation in Wales. He highlighted the importance of collaboration between parents, pupils and school leaders.
WC highlighted the success of this scheme, noting that many attendees are looking for other adult learning courses where possible. He also noted the importance such programmes have on the local community. Marie Clare-Hunter (MCH) asked if the programme could consider linking with community spaces like libraries and GP surgeries. KS said there are adult learning partnerships across Wales that teach skills in places like libraries and noted that the institute would like to do more work on social prescribing.
Matters Arising – General Discussion Space
Future Work Plan
MCH highlighted the possibility of looking at mental health and isolation in a future meeting. Rachel Bowen (RB) agreed as there has been a lot of work done on this from members of the group. DJ also agreed. Andrea Nicholas-Jones (ANJ) also raised the possibility of speaking about intergenerational volunteering at this meeting. AHY is doing some work on this so mentioned the possibility of speaking on this. He said there is a concern globally to retain volunteers due to factors such as the increased need of childcare and poor transport links.
DJ and RB spoke about the possibility of having a future meeting on public transport. DJ noted that such issues impact all generations and so would be a good topic. Katherine Evans (KE) introduced herself as a member of Care and Repair Cymru, noting that her organisation has heard from older people about the difficulties they face when trying to get to health appointments. RB highlighted the Older People’s Commissioner’s report that found access to GPs and transport remain big issues for older people.
MCH also highlighted the possibility of having a future meeting on healthy eating, noting concerns that with such a strong emphasis on avoiding obesity that some vulnerable groups are going to become malnourished in pursuit of a particular physique. DJ also highlighted the possibility of speaking about the pressures society puts on appearances at this meeting, noting it would be good to get both younger and older generations to talk about this. MCH agreed with this point, noting that many people become very unhappy in their pursuit of this, to the extent that it has a really detrimental effect on other areas of their life. She shared a video on an inclusive campaign that celebrates all body shapes. Steven Crane-Jenkins (SCJ) said there is a strong network of dieticians in Wales, offering his help to find future speakers for the group.
Bryan Godsell (BG) highlighted the rise in anti-social behaviour being found in town centres which often leads to people, in particular older people, not getting out as much. He raised this as a future possible topic of discussion.
The group agreed that the next meeting will be on mental health and isolation while the one after will be on public transport.
DJ asked members of the group to email Rhys (rhys.jackson@olderpeople.wales) if they have any thoughts about future meetings.
Any Other Business
RB and RBD highlighted the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales’ ‘Have Your Say’ consultation which is gathering the views of older people and stakeholders on the future work of the Commissioner, encouraging the group to have their say.
RBD highlighted that Global Intergenerational Week is taking place from 24th-30th April, noting that the group may want to think about how they respond this year.
SCJ highlighted that the BASW Cymru annual conference ‘Tomorrow's World’ will be taking place on 19th March in Cardiff.
AHY noted work on co-locating older accommodation on university sites in the USA, saying he will send on some information to the group on this. He also mentioned that the International Conference on Intergenerational Work is being held in Glasgow next year by Generations Working Together.
MCH said that the importance of lifelong learning cannot be overemphasised, but that sometimes the provision of lifelong learning is somewhat limited in its scope. She wondered whether it would be somehow possible to link more with universities, private learning providers, further education colleges etc to provide a much richer offering for older people. She said she would also like to see more "learning with purpose" for "older people" who may even consider re-entering the workplace with newfound skills/knowledge. She also highlighted a podcast from the BBC that explores the Mirabella complex at Arizona State University in the US which offers residents in an on campus care home the chance to sample the college lifestyle – from lectures to shows and sports fixtures. WC highlighted that each region of Wales has a learning partnership that is overseen, and quality assessed by Estyn, encouraging the group to reach out to these.
RB highlighted a presentation on mentoring and intergenerational participation in work.
Close
Date of Next Meeting: 12th May 2025