Preventing lost generations: using intergenerational work to help young people.

Purpose – This paper seeks to determine whether the coming together of old and young people, who live in some of the most deprived areas of the country, needs to happen naturally to form genuine relationships, with their invaluable, knock-on implications on the local community. It also aims to look at the value to young people of using community centres to host youth work activities, so that intergenerational relationship building can be repeated in localised settings to help prevent the loss of a generation. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws upon the experiences of youth workers in Prospex, a youth charity in Islington, London, UK. Findings – The paper looks at a gardening project on a social housing estate that brought together the manpower of disadvantaged young people and the wisdom and experience of an older person, and the knock on, almost accidental, effect that this had within the local community by bringing together the generations in other resultant scenarios. Research limitations/implications – The research is anecdotal. Practical implications – The paper provides anecdotal evidence of the benefits to both young and old people who are brought together within their social housing community to work together. Originality/value – This paper shows the community benefits of young and old people working together on projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]