Intergen is a growing organisation that offers advantages to older people, children and local schools.
The scheme allows older people to share their skills, experiences, time, friendship and knowledge with children and young people in local schools.
The younger people learn a lot, gain the companionship of older people and knowledge of how life changes as one gets older, become confident in speaking and relating to new people and have a new audience for their ideas and talents. The schools gain an extra pair of hands, a trusted friend and a willing helper in all sorts of ways.
Currently, in the Greater Manchester area there are Intergen clusters in Chorlton, Whalley Range, Tyldesley, Cheadle, Droyslden and Penketh and others may well follow and will if new interest is shown.
A cluster usually consists of two primary schools and one secondary but this varies sometimes. Each cluster has a Co-ordinator who publicises the scheme, recruits volunteers and organises events in the area. Each school has an in-school Co-ordinator who ensures that the skills of the volunteers are utilised to their best advantage and helps them to settle into the school environment and feel welcome. A social event is organised each term in one of the three schools so that Intergen volunteers (“Intergeners”) can meet each other, share their experiences and visit all the schools.
A National Intergeners Day is held each year to which all volunteers are invited (all expenses paid) so that members of the Manchester Clusters and the London Clusters can meet and enjoy each others company.
The Intergen website: www.Intergen.org.uk provides more information, lots of pictures and ways that you can become involved.
For further information, email: [email protected] (Chorlton), or [email protected] (Whalley Range).