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School of Life

NVC 'School of Life' Project
"Age is Just a Number"

Northamptonshire has been selected as one of only 12 out of 140 local authorities selected to take part in a pilot project to encourage younger and older generations to work together.

 

The project is being delivered through a partnership between the County Council being the lead body and Northampton Volunteering Centre for the Northampton area.  The other pilot areas are Nene Valley Community Action for Wellingborough and South Northants Volunteer Bureau for South Northamptonshire.

 

The aim is to promote and encourage better understanding between the generations by providing opportunities for people aged 25 and under and people aged 50 and over, to learn skills from one another or to work together on common projects. 

 

The main part of the Project is the recruitment of volunteers and the three Local Infrastructure Organisations (LIOs) in the pilot areas are encouraging older and younger people to get involved in their communities.

 

Some example activities that the Group has already generated include older people teaching younger people “life skills” such as budgeting and money management, cooking and gardening and younger people teaching the older generation how to use the internet, develop basic computer skills, learn more about the younger generation’s language and music.

 

Northampton Volunteering Centre has some activities planned for March/April:

- Gardening projects
- Healthy eating and exercise
- DJ Charity Shop – ‘Talking about Old Records’
- Stereotypes and communication workshop
- Wii workshop

How can I get involved?
We are also looking to encourage older and younger people to get involved in working together on joint projects and pass on their skills.  Communities can also come forward with their own ideas which could be as diverse as forming a choir together, clearing a space for the whole community to use or decorating the village hall. 

 

If you would like to be involved, please contact Priti Chavda, Training and Project Coordinator at Northampton Volunteering Centre on 01604 637522 or email priti-chavda@northampton-volunteers.org.uk