6 Week Intergenerational Music & Movement Programme

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In 2019 Holistic Harmonies worked with Clare McCarroll, an older person’s specialist physiotherapist, to run a programme of intergenerational music and movement sessions in a nursing home in Liverpool. The programme engaged residents, alongside local parents and their pre-school children in six free one hour-long sessions incorporating familiar songs and accessible dance movements. The intention of the programme was to bring benefits to the residents who are often isolated, to encourage movement, positive feelings, and to provide an opportunity to allow for social connections to occur between generations.

In order to understand the impact of the programme on participants, Holistic Harmonies worked with Shortwork to gather qualitative findings of the benefits of involvement from the prospective residents, parents, children, session leaders and nursing home staff, as well as the challenges encountered along the way.

The evaluation supports previous studies highlighting the benefits of involvement in intergenerational sessions for young children and older adults. These include fun and enjoyment, increased activity and movement, life enhancing social interactions, and a sense of purpose and of making a positive contribution to others.

Success!

In July 2021 Holistic Harmonies received a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund for us to deliver our 6 week Intergenerational Music & Movement Programme in 4 care homes.  We are delighted!  

The Plan

What?

We will deliver our initial programme in January 2022 WITHOUT families.  We will apply for more funding to deliver the programme again and introduce families. We are building a business plan in order to make this a sustainable venture for the future

When?

We are hoping to bring some outdoor sessions to a few select care homes during the summer of 2021 and begin a larger scale project in 2022.

Who?

We are looking for:

- Care Homes to partner with
- Nurseries, Children's Centres and Mum's and Toddler groups to partner with
- Social Prescribing teams to link with
- GP's to work with us for signposting

How?

We are working with numerous organisations and associations to bring this programme to life through consultancy, collaboration and referrals:

Together With Music
Intergenerational Music Making
Liverpool Cares
Care Merseyside
Kindred 
Wellbeing Liverpool
Healthwatch Liverpool