Offbeat tea parties to recreate social bonds and have fun
Thé dansant is a bimonthly event in Belgium (Brussels) for the young old (over 65), which is not a typical senior event: an extravagant and glamorous tea party for about 100 people in an elegant setting in the heart of your community. This social event is aimed to help senior people stay active and in […]
COVID-19 & confinement: Echange de bonnes pratiques en milieu institutionnel en Belgique francophone
L’association Entr’âges, membre de AGE en belgique, a collecté les témoignages de membres de son réseau Intergénérationnel travaillant de près ou de loin avec des institutions pour personnes âgées et compilé une liste non exhaustive de bonnes pratiques. Cette liste est disponible ici
Touch therapy to ease loneliness and improve well being in care homes
As loneliness and lack of physical contact have been on the rise in nursing home since the beginning of the pandemic, a Belgian “touch therapist” struggles daily to try to improve older residents’ well being. Sebastien Vandenberghe has been using his hands for 20 years as a tool for sharing, soothing and healing in several […]
Free family newspaper for confined grandparents
‘Des Nouvelles de chez nous’/’Vanuit ons kot’-krant (‘News from home’) aims to help families maintain a link with the oldest relatives and break older persons’ isolation during COVID-19 confinement, in particular those who are not familiar with new technologies and social networks. The principle? Every week the older persons receives a free ‘newspaper’ that keep […]
Young and older generations join forces to address COVID-19 crisis across Europe
The importance of intergenerational bonds may have never been more apparent than in this time of COVID-19 pandemic. While millions of people remain confined in their homes in solidarity with the healthcare workers and to protect those who are most at risks of severe COVID-19 health consequences, multiple initiatives are being taken by people of […]
Free online platform supports community assistance & volunteering during COVID-19
The Belgian matching website for volunteering Give a day offers a free help platform for organizing neighborly help and volunteering for cities and NGOs worldwide during the COVID-19 crisis. The objective is to support current local social initiatives with the right tools to organize assistance in the community. The city of Leuven in Belgium was […]
New mobile application to detect Covid 19 in Catalonia
StopCovid19Cat is a new application for mobile devices that will monitor the evolution of the coronavirus pandemic in Catalonia. The new technology tool will help detect the disease, track patients, see how the pandemic is evolving, and encourage better decision-making. Citizens can download the app and, after a short accreditation process, monitor their health without […]
YouTube video keeps Japan’s seniors in shape during Covid-19 confinement
Not spared by the spread of Covid-19, Japan, like many other countries worldwide, has taken confinement measures to help stop the further transmission of the virus. The situation is all the more serious as older people are particularly vulnerable to the effect of the disease and Japan has the world’s oldest population, with more than […]
Old tyres Rubber pavements to prevent falls under test in Sweden
In the Swedish cities of Lund and Helsingborg, an EU-funded trial has started on a new environment-friendly rubber material made from recycled tyres that could be used to prevent injuries to cyclists and pedestrians. If all goes well their new material could become common throughout Europe within the next five years. “Thousands of lives could […]
The Magical Bridge: a playground for everyone, no matter your age or ability
In Palo Alto, California, when Olenka Villarreal couldn’t find a playground for her daughter, who was born with disabilities, she was asked to design one. The Magical Bridge Playground opened in 2015 as the most accessible playground in the country, specially adapted to all abilities and all ages. It attracts around 25,000 visitors each month. […]
Social enterprises and their ecosystems in Europe – Comparative synthesis report
Social enterprises are businesses whose primary goal is to generate positive social impact. The can help pursue fair demographic, green and digital transitions, in delivering e.g. essential care services, providing job opportunities for disadvantaged groups, or addressing a wider range of societal challenges. Social entreprises exist in every European country, yet they are sometimes rather […]
‘Road 67’ promotes job-carving and training for older jobseekers in Northern Belgium
The ‘Road 67’ is a ESF-funded project developed in Flanders (Northern Belgium) with the aim to reinclude jobseekers aged 50+ into the labour market. The project developed new tools and methodologies to get this target group back to work. It worked closely with employers to identify jobs for which no applicant can be found and […]
Senior Coach, an Italian awareness campaign to promote social inclusion and participation in later life
Abitaresociale launched last December 2019 the ‘Senior Coach’, an awareness campaign on Instagram aimed at promoting an active and dynamic lifestyle among people over 50. The Senior Coach is a consultant and motivator who proposes ideas, suggestions and practical solutions to improve well-being by supporting an active ageing process among people over 50. Senior coach […]
MonToulouse Senior card supports mobility, health and social & cultural participation of older residents
The Municipality of Toulouse developed the MonToulouse Senior card as part of its Mob4seniors project to boost the number of seniors taking part in municipal activities. The intelligent personalised card offers senior citizens in Toulouse (and its surrounding rural areas) free or discounted access to a broad range of cultural, leisure, digital and sports activities, […]
‘Forget dementia, remember the person’ – Flemish/Belgian campaign
In Belgium, the Flemish Minister for Welfare, Public Health and Family is launching an awareness campaign to challenge the way we look at older people living with dementia. The campaign website provides material and pictures aimed change the prevailing negative image associated with dementia into an image in which the human being is central. A […]
Intergenerational mobilisation for climate in Brussels
photo from RTBF website – © M. Allot About a hundred grandparents, and a few younger ones, were demonstrating for the climate in the streets of Brussels last 20 June afternoon, taking over from the young students currently in exams. “Justice and climate, same fight,” stated some banners, summurinzing the need for all generations to […]
UK insurance company provides targeted guidance for its 45+ workers
The UK insurer Aviva is launching this year its ‘mid-life MOT’, a new guidance scheme for its mid-life workers. The programme will help them review where they are today and reflect on their future expectations, covering 3 areas: career, wellbeing and finances. In particular it will serves three purposes: Review: Encourages employees to review their […]
Belgian citizen movement fights for better future living conditions in older age
The “Gang des Vieux En colère” is a Belgian non-partisan and cross-party movement of citizens who want to ensure that future generations can age with dignity. The movement, which today has more than 10,000 members, seizes every opportunity to take to the streets and makes its voice heard, drawing attention on the growing social inequalities […]
