Schools

Bringing different age groups together to learn from one another is one of the corner stones of thriving communities and it increases schools’ profiles.

The children are always delighted to work with our volunteers. Every time there’s a chance a forest of little hands shoots up!

It’s also been a huge boon for me as a teacher to have mature, pleasant, and reliable people. The children get extra opportunities and one to one invaluable help.

It's wonderful having older people in school. It gives the staff and children a real feeling of community

Older people make reliable and enthusiastic volunteers. They also contribute their skills and time for 3 years on average.

We started in 1999 with a handful of volunteers and one school. Pre-Covid, we had over a hundred volunteers with an average age of 72, contributing in excess of 6000 hours to our then 24 partner schools in the Borough of Trafford.
The Covid pandemic meant that we lost 2 schools and many volunteers but we are encouraged that in 2024 we are seeing a resurgence in volunteering and we will need more schools.

We can’t promise to find you volunteers as soon as we receive your interest in taking on volunteers, but you can be assured that we will work hard for you and with you to find local and willing older people who will contribute greatly to your school’s aims and ethos.

Our approach is based on intergenerational learning

Our approach is based on intergenerational learning and practice. It’s a concept that has gained a lot of converts worldwide in the last few decades due to changing demographics but also its contributions to the wellbeing of both older people and children. It is making its way into the educational agenda.

Schools

Bringing different age groups together to learn from one another is one of the corner stones of thriving communities and it increases schools’ profiles.

We take the hassle out of finding volunteers and provide you with invaluable “helping hands” at no cost to you.

Older people make reliable and enthusiastic volunteers. They also contribute their skills and time for 3 years on average.

We can’t promise to find you volunteers as soon as we receive your interest in taking on volunteers, but you can be assured that we will work hard for you and with you to find local and willing older people who will contribute greatly to your school’s aims and ethos.

Our approach is based on intergenerational learning

Find out more information about the practices, outputs and outcomes of intergenerational learning on our intergenerational learning page.