What is Sparkle?
‘Sparkle’ is an Intergenerational Community Centre based in various locations. Our mission is to be a community where relationships can ‘spark’ and bring light and joy to the young and old.
Local older members spend the day dipping into intergenerational sessions with local nursery or school children, including reading, singing, craft, gardening, games or exercise, with regular guest speakers and performers. There’s also a free nutritious warm lunch for the adults.
At Sparkle, everyone is valuable because everyone has something to give and receive. For our older members, this could mean giving their time to read with a child, teaching a child about their culture, or sharing their knowledge of how to do something. For our little ones, this could mean sharing a song, playing a game, giving a smile to someone who might be feeling sad, or sharing all that energy they have!
Sparkle runs 10:30am - 2:30pm at the following locations:
Tuesdays & Thursdays: St Stephen’s East Putney
Manfred Road, East Putney SW15 2RS - 37 or 337 bus
Wednesdays: St Michaels Wandsworth Common
Cobham Close SW11 6SP
Wednesdays: St John The Divine Earlsfield
Garratt Lane, Earlsfield SW18 4EH
We welcome any older person to join us. There is no charge to come to Sparkle and members can come regularly or ad-hoc, for the full session or just an hour or two. Pre-registration is required: email emma@stmikes-ststeves.org.uk, call 0208 8773 003, or fill in the form below.
Why intergenerational?
Intergenerational work is a ‘win-win’ for everyone. There are benefits for older people, such as tackling loneliness and isolation to improving health and well-being, and big benefits for younger people too in terms of building confidence and empathy, developing communication skills and even reducing ageism. In times gone by, intergenerational relationships would have been commonplace but in today’s society, the generations are increasingly segregated. Sparkle aims to bridge that divide and create a community where intergenerational relationships can flourish.
At Sparkle everyone is valuable because everyone has something to give, as well as receive. For our older members that could mean giving their time to read with a child, teaching a child about their culture or sharing their knowledge of how to do something. For our little ones this could mean sharing a song, playing a game, giving a smile to someone who might be feeling sad or sharing all that energy they have!