The Generations Uniting through Movement (GUM) project partners gathered in Madrid on 15 November just before the MOVE Congress 2023 kicked off to put some finishing touches on a comprehensive and inspiring learning tool for trainers, practitioners and organisations who are willing to learn about ‘How to use movement, physical activity and sport for intergenerational activities’. Our GUM online learning tool will be launched in February 2024 and will be accessible in 5 different languages on the official project website. 

It is a sad fact that, in our current times, 40% of elderly people are feeling lonely and 16% of young people are feeling depressed. In addition, less than 40% of these target groups are meeting the recommended amount of physical activity (Sun et al, 2012; Cunningham et al, 2020; Surkalim et al, 2022; Van As et al, 2022). It is known that programmes which bring young people and the elderly together have positive effects on both generations (preventing loneliness, reducing depression, improving self-esteem, etc.). Adding active games to the mix is an even greater mood- and confidence-booster, as our MOVE Congress speakers Joël Kruisselbrink and Azmi Alubeid demonstrated with their creative games for seniors.

The  Generations Uniting through Movement (GUM) project aims to use traditional games and sports as one way to promoting intergenerational relationships and increasing physical activity by setting up an innovative and sustainable GUM programme. 

After completing one of the first steps that will ensure the successful implementation of the GUM Programme 'Research of the successful implementation of intergenerational collaboration projects' this year, the partnership focused on the other tasks for setting up a GUM programme. Some of these tasks are creating an infographic that explains the GUM programme and disseminates it to a wider audience, preparing an online training tool for the practitioners who are of vital importance in the implementation of the GUM programme, and to design an app and make it ready for use in pilot activities that will be implemented in 5 countries (UK, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Spain and France). 

The GUM app is also coming to help #generationssticktogether

One of our wishes from the outset of the project was to design an app for the GUM programme and make it available to both the elderly and the young, as well as practitioners who would facilitate their interaction. This was an area we have been particularly excited about, especially in the area of digital literacy and involving everyone in the era of digitalisation.  

Our app will be accessible to our partner countries and their target group through this link in February 2024. 

The Generations Uniting through Movement (GUM) project is supported by the EU Erasmus+ programme and the partners are ISCA (lead coordinator), Youth Sport Trust (UK), Sports Union of Slovenia, BG Be Active (Bulgaria), Deporte Para La Educacion Y La Salud (DES) (Spain), Stichting Hanzehogeschool Groningen (Hanze) (the Netherlands) and Azur Sport Sante (France).