CPG Minutes & Notes
In attendance:
· Delyth Jewell MS (Chair)
· Rachel Bowen (OPCW)
· Lucy Allan (OPCW)
· Alison Clyde (Generations Working Together)
· Vicki Titterington (Linking Generations NI)
· Bryan Godsell (NPC Wales)
· Stephanie Green (Swansea University)
· Ioan Bellin (Office of Delyth Jewell)
· Charlotte Raymond (Age Cymru)
· Catrin Jones (Worcester University)
· Marie-Clare Hunter (ENRICH Cymru Advisory Group)
· Deborah Morgan (Swansea University)
Apologies:
· Peredur Owen Griffiths MS
· Alan Hatton-Yeo (Generations United)
11:00 - Welcome and Introductions – Delyth Jewell MS
11:05 - Minutes of Last Meeting
The minutes were received and accepted.
11:10 - Presentation: Alison Clyde – Generations Working Together
· Presentation outlining the role Generations Working Together plays in the organisation of Global Intergenerational Week.
· Key outlines:
- The daily themes for each day of Global Intergenerational Week.
- How organisations can get involved.
- Generations Working Together - asks for the next Scottish Government.
- Promotion of the Global Intergenerational Congress, including topics and paper ideas.
Comments from chat:
SG in chat: ‘Fantastic to see your manifesto Alison - great idea. Highly recommend everyone to attend the GWT conference, I attended as a PhD student in 2020 which was brilliant - unfortunately I can't make this year.’
DM in chat: Offered to reach out to the team at the Swansea climate change project. AC said this would be appreciated.
AC shared some information about Menter Mon, the lead contact for Wales’ contribution to Global Intergenerational week.
In relation to funding to attend the Global Intergenerational Congress, AC said in chat: ‘GWT applied to the national Lottery in Scotland for a grant to provide free places for the congress which has just been approved. We have 40 free places for grassroot practitioners and volunteers from the third sector in Scotland which also includes a grant for travel/accommodation and for training. Maybe this approach could be done in Wales, I know Gen-all are looking to apply for people in England.’
11:20 - Presentation: Vicki Titterington – Linking Generations Northern Ireland (LGNI) / Beth Johnson Foundation
· Outlined the role and remit of the charity, including its vision and aims.
· Explained more about the grants that they are able to give to organisations, to facilitate intergenerational activities.
· Showed a testimony of a school that had worked with LGNI, to facilitate visits to care homes, and days with grandparents within the school, participating in activities such as gardening and arts and crafts; evidencing the positive impact that these interactions had on both generations.
· Highlighted the point that intergenerational practice is key to build age friendly communities.
Comments from chat:
MCH in response to the testimony from the primary school: ‘I think that this was such a heart warming example of IG practice, but would like to explore the possibilities for younger and older generations to learn new skills together-perhaps with some opportunity to contribute to sustainable economic growth and/or the aims and objectives of the Future Generations Act. I would really like this initiative to be seen as making sense from a hard economic perspective as I think that would give it much stronger clout with the Senedd’.
11:30 – Questions and Discussions
DJ asked for members’ updates, reflections and comments on the CPG and their own work within their organisations. DJ was keen that this CPG should continue into the next Senedd term, noting good engagement from Welsh Government ministers.
RB pointed out that the incoming expanded Senedd will bring with it more MSs, and more chances to refresh all of the CPGs. One ongoing challenge has been to effectively engage with young people’s groups. There is also potential to engage with people in mid-life too (such as groups promoting workers’ rights). There is a need to ensure any future group has a good spread of generational groups.
CJ asked if intergenerational work has a place in any of the party manifestos.
DJ said that all parties agree recognise the importance of intergenerational work, however this is not always included or reflected in manifestos. However, this shouldn’t be an issue, so long as intergenerational work is included in the ethos of the parties.
BG said that he would support the continuation of this group going forward. He regularly sees that issues affecting people of all ages are placed into a single age‑related category simply because they are perceived as being more relevant to that group
. One gap to consider going forward is how we engage with people in secondary education, since we have lowered the voting age. There are more opportunities for parties work together more positively after the Senedd election.
MCH in the chat: ‘Very much agree with Bryan's comments, but hope that the encouraging "you can change direction" approach for young people should be extended across generations, especially given the huge impact that AI is having on the employment market and people feel increasingly worried about job security. Perhaps cross generational apprenticeship schemes/learning opportunities could be given a higher profile?’
SG in the chat: ‘I think we need to continue this group in Wales and we have lots of upcoming opportunity after the elections - we do have a lot of lesson to draw on from Scotland and NI. We have always had the appetite in Wales and it is growing... I think advocating for investment and resource to build on this foundation’.
DM gave a great example of intergenerational connection, referencing the new film Coal Beneath Our Feet, the Wind Above Our Heads, which showed the newfound hope that younger people living in the valleys had, after talking to the older members of the community about their experiences growing up in the villages. It highlighted the need to offer young people opportunities other than university education, to prevent a drain of younger people moving away from local communities.
DJ concluded that, from this discussion, there is a clear demand for this group to continue.
11:50 – Any other business
RB: Thanked Delyth for chairing the group over the past few years, and praised the supportive environment that she continuously creates for presenters and attendees.
DJ: Thanked Rachel and the team for their continuous dedication to the group, and praised their enthusiasm and secretariat support.
12:00 – Close
Link to the page for Global Intergenerational Week
https://generationsworkingtogether.org/global-intergenerational-week/country-leads/wales
https://generationsworkingtogether.org/global-intergenerational-week/supporter-registration
Link to GWT’s manifesto
https://generationsworkingtogether.org/about/manifesto
Scotland’s Working Rite programme
https://www.workingrite.co.uk/mentors
News updates from LGNI
https://www.linkinggenerationsni.com/news/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orf98mdVq14
Comms guide for Global Intergenerational Week 2026 from LGNI
RB highlighted this skills-based European intergenerational project