The positive evolution of community is every generation’s project.
From Generations Working Together another Global Intergenerational Weekis back for a 6th year – April 24-30, with participation from organizations in 14 countries, each of whom will hold their own events. Since 2007 with its origins in Scotland, Generations Working Together (GWT) has developed a robust UK footprint; and since I first came across GWT in 2021 it has grown and now offers a great blueprint for policy, implementation, training and evaluation.
A week ago today, I had the good fortune to attend a virtual meeting hosted by Healthy Aging Core Alberta coordinated by its National Intergenerational Community of Practice. This was a national and global exchange with special guest from Scotland, GWT Learning & Development Officer – Lorraine George. Hearing first hand from Lorraine in advance of the big week in April, was a great refresher for me as she explained the foundational aspects of intergenerational work, that one might confidently submit has now slowly become a global movement.
Over the seven days of Global Intergenerational Week there are daily themes, one of which resonates with me – “creating intergenerational spaces and communities” as this runs with one of my blog theme areas “age inclusive communities” and also connects specifically with my current involvement with the ISO Ageing Societies International Standards development for the project – Smart Multigenerational Neighbourhoods.
In Canada, the #GIW26 partner is Volunteer Canada and their Chief Strategy and Programs Officer – Sara Lyons spoke to its relatively new Intergenerational Engagement program GenerationsCo which is under development. Partnership collaborations are also announced on their website, outlining how they are working to scale a Pan-Canadian Intergenerational Hub together with HelpAge Canada and the International Longevity Centre –ILC Canada.
Before this event last week, perhaps it was also my conversation with another Intergenerational advocate from Calgary, Alberta that gave me a greater appreciation of the work in this space. Betty Good leads Good Links an intergenerational practice and consultancy that started organically in 2024 “when the work of LINKages Society of Alberta was no longer sustainable”. LINKages was at one point the Canadian partner in GWT’s Global Intergenerational Week after which SE Health took that spot which was then replaced in 2025 by Volunteer Canada.
One core message I will retain from my conversation with Betty Good, and also on the session last week, was that the work in developing intergenerational practice in any community is that it needs to be intentional. This bares out when you look at the solid narrative found on the GWT website, and Betty Good is herself part of the tutoring team at Scotland’s GWT.
In closing, it’s important to say that no one person or entity owns the turf on intergenerational practice, and there is a history here in Canada, as I’ve highlighted in previous blog posts. Originating in British Columbia in 2008, there became the i2i Intergenerational Society which was formed by a former school teacher – Sharon MacKenzie.Cleverly i2i stands for “invitation to intergenerational immersion” with the intent to build bridges between generations.
As it happens, not to confuse your calendar, Intergenerational Day in Canada is celebrated on June 1st every year for 16 years now. If you have a local event planned for that day, you can register here on the i2i Intergenerational Activity Summary Formand intentionally, have at it.
