Do you have a project idea that will help younger and older generations to be more connected? Yes? Then our Young Start fund could be for you.

Through this fund we can award grants of up to £50,000 for projects that promote greater understanding and respect between generations.

In Leith, the Citadel Youth Centre did exactly that when they applied for and received £50,000 to develop their New Spin intergenerational project. Here Andy Thomas, Deputy Manager, tells us more…. 

What is New Spin?

This project is a continuation of our award winning New Spin Intergenerational project, which was first launched in 2010. It aims to improve understanding and relationships between the generations in Leith. We also wanted the project to reduce the social isolation of older people, both directly, by providing weekly activities, and indirectly, by increasing their confidence to go out in their own community. And we wanted to increase the confidence of younger people, by enabling them to communicate with adults in a supportive environment and feel listened to and respected.

What activities are on offer?

At the core of the New Spin project has been our intergenerational cafe on Friday afternoons, which brings together a regular membership of around 30 older and younger people in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. The cafe offers a varied programme of arts and crafts, cooking, quizzes and physical activities, designed to be inclusive for both generations. We also offer trips out to various venues and have even taken a group away on an intergenerational residential. Alongside the regular Friday cafe, we have delivered a wide range of time limited ‘spin off’ groups bringing an intergenerational dimension to activities from gardening and cooking to furniture restoration and bowling.

Why did you apply to Young Start?

When initial funding for the New Spin project expired in 2012, we were able to piece together funding from a number of local trusts to maintain intergenerational work on a smaller scale. However, the momentum of the first two years was lost. Young Start provided an opportunity to relaunch the New Spin project. Two years funding enabled us to recruit a development worker to both lead intergenerational activities at the Citadel, and develop new partnerships to extend intergenerational opportunities to the wider community.

Tell us about your experience of applying for Young Start funding?

The application form and process was straightforward. Once funding was granted, it was helpful to have a named Funding Officer to talk us through the reporting requirements. The Big Lottery Fund was also flexible when we had to negotiate some changes to our project.

If you have a similar project that helps younger and older generations to be better connected you can apply for Young Start funding here. It’s a simple one stage application and there are no deadlines for applying. If you need any help filling in the form you can also email us for advice.

 

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