The ELIGN team, alongside Patrick Boxall from QMU, were delighted to welcome attendees (guests) to our celebration and learning symposium, which marked the end of our funded project through the Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, managed by VCEL. 

Our Programme was packed full - a feast of learning that celebrates intergenerational perspective, approaches, research, practice and communities to nourish all our guests .

Learning gleaned from Keynote Presentations.

The connections formed and the activities engaged in are deepened through the generations sharing time, learning, understanding and building meaningful relationships. 

The benefits are reciprocal - so twice the impact than working only with one generation. 

Positive relationships are essential for all of us to thrive - and to recover from anything which has a negative impact on our lives. When we are older we are more at risk of cognitive decline if we have had poor social connections, experience loneliness or isolation, have had adverse childhood experiences - it's not just about being unwell as an adult. 

Healthy brains throughout the lifespan will best support healthy brains in older age. 

Intergenerational connections are not just a nice thing to do - they are vital. 

Taking an intergenerational approach is essential for workplaces, neighbourhoods, communities, schools and care settings. We all benefit by building this layer into our living. Human beings are meant to connect across all the generations and work/live together. 

Health is directly related to the places in which we live. Place and Partnership is the approach of Public Health Scotland. 

We need to join up - that's where we make the greatest difference. 

Shamin Akhtar, Cabinet Spokesperson for Health, Chair of IJB and Deputy Leader - for East Lothian Council opened our event, welcoming everyone and setting the scene with definition of Intergenerational Practice used in Scotland / UK. 

Patrick Boxall, Lecturer and Lead for Outdoor Learning Campus, Queen Margaret University invited all to contribute thoughts through our event Mentimeter and Padlet - with intergenerational approaches to sharing those thoughts in the room. Patrick also tempted guests to take a little wellbeing walk around the Campus to hear and see the ambition for intergenerational and community inclusion on site. You can find out a little more by checking out the blog QMU & You

Loreen Pardoe, ELIGN's Project Lead and Generations Working Together local Community Co-ordinator, linked the day and invited all to sample a feast of learning, share their 'sweet treats' and fill our dessert table through our Conversation Café. Loreen also added to the intergenerational buffet, by sharing the ingredients which created ELIGN - East Lothian Intergenerational Network and noting all the 'delicious food' shared by those who could not be present on the day - with their encouragement to sample everything and share with each other.

Pat Scrutton, Co-ordinator of Scottish Intergenerational Network, shared the benefits of intergenerational practice and intergenerational approaches. Pat invited all to recognise intergenerational approaches as the essential ingredient needed for a good life and one which is readily available to us all. 

Sue Northrop, Founder and Director of Dementia Friendly East Lothian, connected the dots between the courses. Together, with generations meaningfully linked, we increase capacity of individuals, share learning, support emotionally and assist everyone to flourish. One delicious "side" was a suggestion shared that Dementia might be considered as a neurodiverse brain development, said at a previous event. That really captured thoughts and minds during the event. 

Caroline Davis, Youth work co-ordinator, Connected Communities, East Lothian Council - facilitated a conversation with Suzanne and Alan - exploring future-proofing, importance of socially connected human beings and where research and community intersect to create meaningful actions. 

An observation shared: We need to - and can - work intentionally and meaningfully to change negative trends such as the impact of families being separated and communities becoming less and less connected, and to manage technology wisely so that it is an asset rather than a threat. Babies and children need adults to engage in them but currently we see that many adults regularly engage in screens more than children - and children are increasingly engaging more in screen play / activity than direct face-to-face play. 

We need connection. We need relationships. We need balance.