Intergenerational project: b:heard in schools

February 18th, 2025 by Sara Kopecsni

Have you ever wondered how much school has changed over the years?

At the end of last year, we partnered with Brampton Primary School in Chesterfield for our ‘b:heard in schools’ project to nurture intergenerational connections in the community and highlight the incredible stories of the older generation that deserve to be heard.

Three older adults sitting on blue chairs in a classroom. The woman in the middle wears a yellow sweater, while the woman on the left is in purple and the man on the right is in a navy-blue sweater, holding a yellow phone. Behind them is a digital screen displaying an image of a school building, a world map, and educational posters. — *Older neighbours Catherine and Rolna with b:friend Club Volunteer Alan*

Older neighbours Rolna and Catherine joined Club Volunteer Alan and visited classes to talk about their school memories and experiences while the children shared what it is like to be a student now. They also had a chance to look at the tech kids use for learning nowadays and even danced together.

A classroom scene with children and adults. A woman in a yellow sweater is energetically raising her arms, engaging with the children, who are dressed in red uniforms. Another adult in black stands near a bulletin board labeled "Literacy," which has student work and educational materials. The room has colorful storage bins and desks with blue chairs. — *Dancing through the ages: older neighbour Rolna with Brampton Primary students and staff*

We received some amazing and heartwarming feedback from the children at Brampton Primary, who enjoyed getting to know our older neighbours. After the success of the project, b:friend is looking to host more ‘b:heard in schools’ in 2025 in Sheffield and Rotherham.

*“Please come back and show us more.” Feedback from the students*

If you’d like to find out more about our projects, please email info@letsbfriend.org.uk.