Last week Clare hosted four Year 12 students from Larkmead School in Abingdon for the annual Make A Difference (MAD) Week.
She challenged them to think about how we can tackle loneliness and isolation among younger people (aged 16-24) and older people (aged 65+).
The week kicked off with an afternoon at Leys CDI in Oxford, where the students chatted with seniors while crafting, playing balloon tennis, and celebrating England’s World Cup result over Mexico with tea and cakes.
Learning about the support available in Oxfordshire
On Tuesday, we visited Oxfordshire County Council to learn about local government and the support it provides for younger and older residents. The students questioned Councillor Sean Gaul, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, about his work, heard from different teams about internship and career opportunities, and even snapped a cheeky photo in the Council Chamber.
A busy Wednesday took us first to Abingdon Community Hospital, where a group of gardening volunteers showed us the beautiful green space they look after at the Stroke Rehabilitation Unit. The students then joined a volunteer-led crafting session with patients who were keen to chat over mosaic making. In the afternoon we headed into Oxford to speak with people at the Archway Foundation about its work supporting people harmed by loneliness and isolation.
Our last visit took place on Thursday, when we visited Age UK Oxfordshire to hear about how they support older people across the county.
Reflecting on the week
The week wrapped up on Friday with a presentation from the students, who shared their ideas about how volunteering can bring different generations together. We loved hearing them speak about the value of volunteering, how we might tackle the barriers to young people getting into volunteering, and their ideas for intergenerational gardening, crafting, reading and sports groups.
Throughout the week it was great to see the group chatting, laughing and getting creative with older people. As one lady said “Thank you for coming. It goes to show you can learn something from everybody.”
Equally wonderful was the fact that the organisations we visited were as keen to hear from the young people as the students were to learn from them. They brought with them the results of a survey they had carried out among their peers and they were able to share this valuable insight into how young people experience loneliness and isolation.
A huge thank you everyone who gave their time to the students, and most of all to Ela, Jess, Anna and Liam for getting involved, bringing fresh perspectives, and making us think!