Empower is InCommon's digital platform designed to make intergenerational work easy and sustainable for schools, housing associations and care providers. It provides everything needed to deliver meaningful encounters between young and older people from planning guidance, activity pathways, scheduling tools to resources.
The platform helps partners connect, organise visits and track impact. It strengthens existing staff capacity by supporting teachers, activity coordinators and scheme managers to run high-quality intergenerational sessions confidently. Empower offers a repeatable framework that embeds intergenerational practice into everyday school and community life.
The Problem
Ageism
Ageism is one of the most widespread forms of discrimination in the UK, with at least a third of people holding ageist beliefs and believing older age is characterised by frailty, vulnerability and dependence. Ageism causes people to be excluded from society and its institutions.
Loneliness
Loneliness is something we all experience and it can impact us at any age. It is considered as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and, for older populations, can lead to an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
Wellbeing
Young people face challenging times affecting their wellbeing and future hopes. Research shows 3 in 5 aged 11-30 experience daily anxiety, with UK 15-year-olds reporting exceptionally low life satisfaction. It's crucial they feel heard and empowered to create change.
The Solution
Intergenerational connection is a solution
We bridge so-called generational divides by bringing older people and young people together to connect and learn from one another. Our workshops provide spaces for older people and young people to get to know each other, share experiences, develop new skills and challenge ageist stereotypes. This helps reduce ageism and provides opportunities for people of all ages to build friendships, engage in social action, and experience a boost in wellbeing.
You can help us to bridge this gap. Working together to build environments in which both younger and older people thrive makes happier, healthier communities.
Empower provides a complete digital framework that removes the barriers to intergenerational work. It connects local schools and schemes, guides staff through planning and delivery, and provides simple tools for scheduling sessions, choosing activities and reporting outcomes
The Benefits
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Reduces workload with ready-to-use session plans and activities
Helps meet wellbeing and community engagement goals
Provides a clear annual structure (pathways, activities, scheduling)
Supports teachers with confidence, guidance and training
Creates joyful, enriching learning opportunities for pupils
Accessible online platform—easy to use on any device
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Makes intergenerational sessions simple to run and sustain
Provides structure: session pathways, activity guidance, step-by-step planning
Helps manage scheduling and communication with schools
Demonstrates resident wellbeing benefits with clear outcomes
Reduces pressure on activity coordinators and volunteers
Supports safer, smoother visits and stronger relationships
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A scalable, consistent model across multiple schemes
Easy-to-monitor impact dashboards and reporting
Strengthens community cohesion and resident wellbeing
Embeds intergenerational practice without heavy staff resource
Clear annual structure with predictable costs
Demonstrates value and social impact to internal and external stakeholders
“The workshops are a great joy. I always leave them feeling uplifted. They have definitely enhanced my life and others too. In this retirement home, we’re 44 elderly (or not so elderly!) people, but we are all living separate lives so it’s wonderful to get the chance to meet others and be social. It’s an organic thing and it’s really nice.”
