Launch of new toolkit to promote health across generations

Open University (OU) researchers are launching a toolkit (21 November 2024) which will help people across generations to keep healthy together.

Dr Jitka Vseteckova, the OU lead on an Open Societal Challenge on Ageing well said: “Building new habits together while also having fun means practically that we are more likely to stick to them. We have co-designed and co-produced this toolkit to provide activities and challenges designed to help everyone make small changes together that make a big difference and help us all become healthier and happier.”

Funded by Hallmark Foundation, the OU and University of Bedfordshire in collaboration with the Campaign for Learning, a nation-wide charity and leader for National Centre for Family Learning, are launching a co-produced intergenerational educational toolkit.

Dr Vseteckova said: “Via the toolkit we aim to support older participants in developing and keeping healthy habits as well as engaging younger generations with healthier living habits. The co-produced toolkit aims to enable and empower families to pledge together, whereby children together with their parents, grandparents/ older family members, learn, have fun and foster healthy behaviours across the lifespan.”

The toolkit is based on a long record of knowledge exchange and research activities.

All activities are structured around five areas (Five Pillars for Ageing Well). These are: eat, drink, move, engage and connect, and think.

This toolkit is designed to be "intergenerational". This means it is for different age groups to have fun and learn together. It’s good for:

• Boosting mental health and wellbeing via carefully curated activities,
• Promoting knowledge and skill sharing,
• Reducing feelings of isolation and social loneliness,
• Building bonds, understanding and respect between different age groups,
• Supporting a sense of purpose and belonging,
• Strengthening family relationships and placing learning about healthy lifestyle choices in the heart of the family.

Juliette Collier, national director at Campaign for Learning said: “We hope the ‘Live Well Together’ activities will encourage generations of all ages to build new habits to help them live well. When we learn together, we develop empathy and understanding and are more likely to be motivated to make positive changes. These can make a real difference to how we feel and improve our future health and happiness.”  

Dr Vseteckova added: “The most important thing is to enjoy choosing activities and challenges to do together, talking about which things you want to try and just giving them a go! “