Key Stats – Mind the Gap Befriending Programme

📌 Programme Overview

📍 Total Participants Engaged: 85 (older BAME individuals & younger participants)

📍 Key Focus: Combating social isolation, fostering intergenerational connections, and community cohesion.

📍 Events Organised: 3 major social engagement events

📚 Key Activities & Attendance

✅ Welcome Mixer: 20 participants – Icebreakers, shared meal, group discussions.

✅ Community Celebration: 35 participants – Music, dance, storytelling, cultural exchange.

✅ Skills Sharing Session: 30 participants – Cooking, digital literacy, interactive learning.

🌟 Key Outcomes & Impact

📍 Reduced Social Isolation: Encouraged friendships & support networks.

📍 Strengthened Community Bonds: Cultural exchange improved mutual respect & understanding.

📍 Empowered Participants: New skills learned, boosting confidence & self-sufficiency.

📍 Bridged Generational Gaps: Younger and older individuals connected through shared experiences.

💬 Memorable Moments

📌 A Heartwarming Friendship – Gardening brought an elderly woman & young participant together, inspiring community engagement.

📌 Breaking Cultural Barriers – A woman hesitant to speak due to language barriers sang an Urdu song, sparking cultural appreciation.

📌 Intergenerational Bonding – An older woman helped a young man cope with anxiety, creating a deep mental health discussion.

This initiative transformed lives by fostering meaningful connections, reducing loneliness, and promoting cross-cultural and intergenerational engagement. 🚀