How the ENRICH network helped us reach the care home community
A research project looking into intergenerational perspectives of climate change, has credited ENRICH Cymru with helping them connect with care homes across Wales – ensuring the older generation’s voices are included.
Intergenerational voices
The initial OPTIC study, funded through the Healthy Ageing Social, Behavioural and Design Research Programme (SBDRP), funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and supported by CADR, explored everyday issues affecting both older and younger people as a result of climate change through a series of workshops. The outcomes were then captured and retold in a comic book illustrated by Laura Sorvala.
Climate change research project
This research project has since evolved and the research team are currently developing an intergenerational activity pack which may include games, template letters to your MP, lesson ideas, and conversation starters to be shared with schools, care homes, community groups, libraries, museums as well as key policy makers.
Engaging care homes in research
The research team wanted to make sure different generations were included, and all voices were heard so worked with ENRICH Cymru to connect them with three care homes Haulfryn Care, Ysguborwen Care Home and Llys Cyncoed Care Home.
The team has been holding ideas sessions with schools, care homes and other interested groups throughout Spring, and are now creating a prototype activity pack. This will be used to gather feedback from children and care home residents in Autumn before the final pack is designed.
Leading on this project Dr Merryn Thomas, said: “It is essential to understand older and younger people’s climate change perspectives, so that living, working and recreational environments can be shaped and managed effectively for health, wellbeing and sustainability in the future.
“We couldn’t have progressed onto this next stage without the help of ENRICH Cymru.
“Older people are sometimes described as not caring as much about climate change, however that hasn’t been the case in our research, and we have found a lot of solidarity between age groups in our research.
“We’ve seen lovely relationships flourish. For example, one Year 6 boy (aged ten) sat and talked with a care home resident for over an hour about climate change and learning from experiences of coal mining and World War Two.
ENRICH Cymru research manager, Dr Deb Morgan, said: “This is our bread and butter not only supporting researchers in their work but connecting them with older people living in care homes.
“This type of activity is enriching for the residents; they are showing how important their perspectives are but also engaging in conversation with new people from different ages and backgrounds. We’re looking forward to seeing the intergenerational activity pack develop and the conversations about climate change continue.”
Merryn is continuing to work with colleagues in Swansea (Aled Singleton, Tavi Murray in Geography; Deborah Morgan, Aelwyn Williams in Health; Carol Maddock in Materials Science and Engineering) and Aberystwyth (Charles Musselwhite, Psychology).
The bilingual Climate Comic is freely downloadable from www.climatecomic.co.uk.
To get involved in the intergenerational activity pack, contact optic@swansea.ac.uk or to find out more about ENRICH Cymru email us here.