Building relationships between the generations: the case of the co-located nursery

Author(s)

NIGHTINGALE HAMMERSON

Publisher(s):

Nightingale Hammerson

Publication year:

2018

This case study describes the development of the UK’s first intergenerational nursery, a partnership between the Apples and Honey Nursery group and the Jewish elderly care home charity Nightingale Hammerson. It covers the different stages of the project, from the initial idea, building community support and setting up a weekly intergenerational baby and toddler group in January 2017, to opening a day nursery within the grounds in September 2017, where intergenerational sessions between nursery children and care home residents take place daily. The report includes feedback from the first year of the intergenerational programme, including the views of families who attend the baby and toddler group, residents of the care home, volunteers, physiotherapists, parents from the new nursery, and staff from both organisations. It also includes early lessons learned as a result of including nursery children into weekly exercise classes with residents and observations from early year's teachers as to the impact of intergenerational play on the very young and those with dementia. (Edited publisher abstract)