But what do the young people get out of it?

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“But…what do the young people get out of it? It sounds too good to be true!” Virginia, Highgate.

After the mammoth seasonal door-knocking exercise that is North London Cares’ Winter Wellbeing project, over 4,000 older neighbours in Camden and Islington have received information or support for their warmth, health and connection over the winter. 

We've also had chats about our year round programmes – our Social Clubs and our one-to-one Love Your Neighbour scheme. So in the past few weeks we've been really busy visiting all the lovely older neighbours who said they'd like to be matched with a young Londoner for shared time, company and friendship.

When I explain the Love Your Neighbour programme fully, I get a range of reactions. One of my favourites is when the older neighbour politely declines because they already have such an active social life they don’t believe they have any time to spare! Hearing that is hugely heart-warming, because we so often hear the opposite scenario. 

By far the most common response is enthusiasm and interest, because most of us are always happy to make a new friend. But there’s one reaction that’s quite widespread and seems quite sad to me, which is total surprise that such a project could exist.

Many of the older neighbours I speak to are not only cut off from the younger generation, but they’ve also come to believe that there's something natural about this. They express sentiments like “But why would a youngster want to spend time with me?” or “I suppose you have to pay them?” 

I have to draw on my own experience of volunteering, before I started working full time with North London Cares, to explain that in fact, the younger neighbours get out of it what they would hope to get out of any friendship: company, shared interests, advice, conversation. They may also get things they don’t get from friends of their own age: new perspectives, personal history, a sense of belonging to the local community.

Our volunteers constantly feed back to us that their experience of increased connection to the older generation and the community at large is hugely positive and rewarding. 

As volunteer Anna said of her Love Your Neighbour match Yvonne: “We always have such a lovely time, and I feel really grateful we got matched as we have loads in common and are constantly giggling.” 

It’s far more than just an effort in doing something worthwhile; the younger neighbours receive so much back in terms of new experiences and perspectives. It’s our mission at North London Cares that none of our older neighbours should ever question the value of their friendship and personality, or wonder what they could offer the younger generation.

If you'd like to support our Love Your Neighbour programme, please get involved in our new campaign 7 Days to Raise – and help older and younger neighbours feel more connected.