Spotlight on North London Cares

Aim of organisation

North London Care’s aim is to bring older (65+) and younger (18-25) neighbours together, the two age groups most at risk of isolation, in the rapidly changing areas of Islington and Camden. The purpose is to reduce loneliness and increase participants’ sense of connection, belonging, purpose and power in their communities.

The charity has received help from different income streams, corporate partnerships, and grant fundraisers.

Name of Project

Old Street Intergenerational Social Clubs

What are the key objectives of this project?

The project aimed to bring together old and young locals who are increasingly living side-by-side, but rarely interact, hence they suffer from loneliness.  Through the different events of the project, neighbours came together and enjoyed a plethora of experiences, making friendships in the process and feeling like they are a part of a group.

Ins and outs of the scheme

Most of the clubs revolved around chatting and artistic expenditures.

Such activities included booking classes, board games, breakfast clubs, painting classes and even softball. As well, every quarter, locals were able to enjoy a lunch time concert, presented by London Symphony Orchestra and held at St Luke’s Church.

Drumming, outdoor games, and dancing are a few of the other activities that took place and celebrated the district.

All those activities helped the old and the young come close to one another, isolate their feeling of loneliness and spend some time in a nicer way, increase their sense of belonging, confidence and purpose.

Most of those gatherings took place at the VIbast Community Centre and St Luke’s Church.

In the summertime, their Summer Party at the Vibast Community Centre, lots of local people attended.

The advertisement for the events took place far and wide, through leaflets and ads in pharmacies, community centres, on Instagram, student accommodations, newsletter, monthly bulletin, GP surgeries and world of mouth.

Beneficiaries

The charity helped about 50 people throughout the project. They had a steady stream of at least 11 beneficiaries in each event, a good combination of older and younger beneficiaries. They worked a lot with referrals, residents that received their regular newsletters and through word of mouth.

During their 12^th birthday celebrations, they had over 70 attendees. Most of them had never been to Old Street before. As well, many of them were from different backgrounds, countries and spoke different languages.