The School of Life is our intergenerational project, where we bring schools and seniors members together, to share skills or learn new things together.

The project allows us to build strong links between different ages and organisations.

Our lead on this project is our community engagement officer, Liz Carroll-Wheat, who ran a county-wide lottery funded intergenerational project for a number of years. The practice of bringing different ages together helps to:

• Challenge stereotypes about young and older people
• Encourage social inclusion and reduce isolation
• Creates opportunities for exchanging skills
• Give new experiences and create new networks and friendships

Our current project focusses on our partnership with schools in our parish area:

• East Hunsbury Primary
• Simon de Senlis Primary
• Wootton Park School

Project include:

Games Skill Swaps – at Hunsbury Library, where we learn board games and share lots of chatting. This is especially important for youngsters who maybe live far away from grandparents, or don't get the opportunity to talk with older people. The Seniors gain as much as the youngsters, especially those who maybe don't live near their own family.

We look to recruit people who know how to play particular games, for example, our senior gents who play chess!

Cooking Crew – a group of Seniors who can visit schools to help a class to learn how to bake. Some wonderful sessions have been held with Simon de Senlis SEN unit.

Gardening Projects – where we bring our Gardening Buddies together with Gardening Clubs, to plant bulbs at Hunsbury Library or at the schools themselves. Lots of sharing of knowledge and practical help.

Social Care Students – collaborating with older pupils, to give them the opportunity to meet older members of the community, bringing a practical level to their learning experience, talking with older people, helping at seniors' events, or presenting their project work.