Facilitating intergenerational solidarity and learning through building friendships between youngsters and elderly

Older people in Europe tend to face multiple disadvantages, including loneliness and isolation that have been further aggravated due to the COVID-19 crisis and are expected to have a real and long...

The BONDING project aimed at enhancing the opportunities for young people’s civic engagement, through strengthening their competences in designing and conducting innovative volunteering services for elderly. The specific objectives of the project included: - Enhance the capacity of young people, youth and other organisations in establishing and maintaining volunteering services for the support of elderly. - Strengthen young people’s sense of initiative and active citizenship through volunteering with elderly as one of the most vulnerable groups in their communities. - Foster support for elderly in overcoming social isolation and loneliness. - Promote intergenerational learning and solidarity.

The activities implemented during the project are as follows: PROJECT RESULTS • R1: E-publication Mapping the Befriending Landscape R1-A1: Design of research protocol and reports template R1-A2: Implementation of desk research in partners’ counties R1-A3: Implementation of key informant interviews R1-A4: Production of good practices and national reports R1-A5: Drafting of the e-publication R1-A6: Drafting of policy recommendations - All partners R1-A7: Peer review of the e-publication R1-A8: Finalization and design of the e publication • R2: Youth Befriending Elderly: E-learning course R2-A1: R2-A2: Development R2-A3: Piloting testing R2- A4: Evaluation and finalization R2-A5: Mentoring support • R3: Awareness-raising Toolkit R3-A1: Development of the content of the toolkit R3-A2: Piloting and Evaluation R3-A3: Finalization and Publication • R4: Befriending Networking Platform R4-A1: Specification and development of the technical infrastructure R4-A2: Content uploading and localization R4-A3: Pilot testing R4-A4: Update and release of the final version PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION • Project Management A1: Setting up the project A2: Project Communication A3: Project management and reporting • Quality Assurance and Evaluation A4: Quality Assurance and Evaluation Plan A5: Interim and Final Evaluation reports • Dissemination and exploitation A6: Dissemination and Exploitation Plan A7: Project branding and visual identification TRANSNATIONAL PROJECT MEETINGS M1: Kick-off meeting M2: Interim meeting M3: Final meeting MULTIPLIER EVENTS Six (6) multiplier events were organised, including 6 national Info & Networking sessions. The project also included a one Short-term Joint Staff Training for the members of the BONDING project team who was involved in the provision of Mentoring Support to young people interested in setting up a befriending service for elderly after having successfully completed the e-learning course Youth Befriending Elderly (R2).

The project delivered the following outcomes: -Completion of PR1: e-publication “Mapping the Befriending Landscape, available in all partner languages and in English in electronic format; the consortium created a comprehensive e-learning course “Youth Befriending Elderly”. Further to the preliminary research, the consortium focused on the development of an in-depth mapping of the good practices in befriending services provided by youth in other European countries and lessons learned, as well as on exploring how could those practices be adapted and enhanced to fit the needs and expectations of the target groups in the project countries. This included practices on distance befriending, for which there has been an increased demand since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. These good practices will act as examples for youth, youth organisations and other organisations providing voluntary services for you on how they can actually set up and run voluntary befriending services of benefit to the elderly and other vulnerable community groups. -Complation of PR2: With the aim to inform, educate, and support perspective volunteers, this project developed and piloted a comprehensive e-learning course. The course was tailored to young people, formal or informal associations of young people, youth and other organizations thinking of setting up a befriending service for elderly people, as well as for young people thinking of volunteering as befrienders. Following the successful completion of the course, the learners had an opportunity to sign up for the Mentorship Programme and receive mentoring support from the partner organisation from their country in the process of establishing their befriending services. -Complation of PR3: The project developed a unique Toolkit for raising awareness of the importance of intergenerational solidarity and learning, the benefits of volunteering to young people and the benefits to elderly in remaining actively engaged in the community. The awareness raising tools within the Toolkit serves to encourage young people and elderly to join befriending networks, as well as encourage family members and professionals working elderly to refer them to befriending networks. These tools seek to inform and educate the main audiences (young people, elderly and their family members, and the general public) with the intention of influencing their attitudes, behaviors and beliefs towards supporting young people’s civic engagement and youth-led initiatives for supporting elderly and other vulnerable groups. The Toolkit can be used by interested young people, youth groups and organizations, as well as other organizations and institutions working on related topics. Established befriending services can utilize the Toolkit for the purpose of recruitment of volunteers and users. -Complation of PR4: With the aim to support learning and sharing of information, good practice and outcomes among youth groups and organisations providing or managing befriending services for elderly, the project developed and piloted a Befriending Networking Platform. The platform is compatible with desktop and mobile devices. Users have the option to register themselves at the platform and create their personal profile, share texts, photos, blogs, videos and podcasts related to their experiences with befriending, as well as any learning or training materials that might be of benefit to others. -The project consortium organized the Short-term Joint Staff Training (LTTA), equipping the project staff with the needed knowledge, attitudes, skills and tools to successfully mentor young people in establishing their befriending services for elderly. -The project consortium organized seven 6 multiplier events in Poland, Greece, North Macedonia, Spain and Cyprus. This sessions aimed at familiarizing the national stakeholders with the project’s aims and objectives, present the outcomes of the project, and to engage the target groups with the results developed. This events provided opportunities for discussion of the findings within the e-publication - Mapping the Befriending Landscape (R1), and promotion and dissemination of the e-learning course – Youth Befriending Elderly (R2). Consortium also organized one International Final conference in Italy, which was organised to inform relevant stakeholders and the wider public about the achievements and lessons learnt within the BONDING project, present project results and outputs, exchange experiences and impact with the other partner countries, and promote the uptake and mainstreaming of the results, thus ensuring their sustainability and further exploitation. - The project consortium produced 4 newsletters and a press releases in each individual language of the partner, to disseminate the results achieved during the project. Upon its completion, the project achieved the following: - Increased capacity of young people, youth and other organisations in establishing and maintaining volunteering services for elderly people; - Strengthened sense of initiative and active citizenship among young people; - Increased youth interest towards community engagement and support for vulnerable community members; - Promotion of intergenerational learning and solidarity in different European countries and building common values; - Promotion of befriending as a form of support for individuals who face particular challenges that could lead to them feeling excluded and/or isolated; - Fostered support for elderly in overcoming social isolation, exclusion and loneliness; - Developed European digital sphere where young people can exchange their experiences and best practices in providing befriending services for elderly through the Befriending Networking Platform. - Enhanced social prosperity and wellbeing through more engaged youth and healthier and included elderly.