JOY: Joining Old and Young
JOY encourages friendships between the young and old through shared experiences and activities. The interfaith programme works with nursery schools, day centres and residential homes throughout Barnet.
Staying connected
Jenny Kossew, Founder, describes how JOY has been keeping the generations connected during COVID-19 lockdown:
“The essence and ethos of what JOY is all about is the interaction and communication on a one-to-one basis between the older generation and younger generation. We work mainly with early years, so it was hard to do a Zoom or online activity. But we thought if children could draw a picture or their parents could help them write a poem for the elderly residents, then it would maintain that connection between the generations.”
Tackling loneliness and isolation
“The activity has reassured the elderly people we would normally visit that we are still thinking of them, while continuing to teach compassion and empathy to the children. The homes have been calling to let us know what joy the images have brought to their residents. I can’t wait to start up our intergenerational sessions again. I can just picture the faces of the residents when the children come back to visit them, and they can get their hugs and that contact again.”
