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Intergenerational opportunities

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Intergenerational opportunities

Intergenerational opportunities

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Connecting people

Belong is committed to connecting people of all ages to enable meaningful interactions and relationships, which reduce loneliness and bring joy to people's lives.

Across all Belong villages, we foster relationships with schools, nurseries, colleges, scouts, Brownies, arts organisations and community groups that enable us to create opportunities to share experiences with people of all generations, as in the wider community.

Beyond this, we have partnered with the national charity Ready Generations, to launch our first care village with a fully integrated children’s nursery at Belong Chester.

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An intergenerational environment

Belong has adopted a holistic approach to integrating generations within the Belong environment, including connecting with nature and the outdoors.

From internal and external play areas, through highchairs and baby changing facilities, Belong positively encourages formal and informal opportunities for children and grandchildren to be part of life in its villages. It is these relationships that help provide the young and old alike with the positivity, social interaction and meaningful experiences that make life a joyful experience.

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The Nursery in Belong

Belong Chester is the first older people’s care setting in the UK to include a fully integrated children’s research nursery, where children and residents come together on a daily basis to have fun learning and playing together.


Operated by Ready Generations, the 25-place Nursery in Belong features a secure sensory nature and play garden and provides a high-quality care and learning environment for children from birth to five years, operating flexibly over six days a week to accommodate work and shift patterns.


Find out more
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Award-winning

This pioneering partnership offers shared learning experiences and opportunities for children, families and older people, and has already won national and international recognition.

Belong Chester won the LaingBuisson Award for Innovation in Care 2023 based on its intergenerational living model and the Nursery in Belong scooped the International Award at the Generations Working Together Excellence Awards 2023.

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A partnership between Belong and Ready Generations

The partnership is enabling village and nursery teams to work closely together and create a truly shared environment where children and older people are actively spending time together building meaningful relationships and connections in an authentic intergenerational community.

This focus on the relational nature of human life is supporting individuals of all ages to benefit from interacting, learning and connecting, changing lives for the better.

Year One Impact

To find out about the difference the Nursery in Belong is making to people’s lives, read our Year One Impact Report.

The Nursery Impact Report 2023

The intergenerational, community-centred approach is designed to:

Enhance individual and community capabilities, reduce loneliness and support mental health and wellbeing

Support learning and development of children and older people
Create healthier places to live and work
Bring together people of all ages to foster and strengthen human relationships

Create healthier places to live and work

Bring together people of all ages to foster and strengthen human relationships