Older people and children are set to continue benefiting from spending time with each other at Lark Hill Retirement Village, the backdrop to this year’s BAFTA-nominated series Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds, produced by CPL Productions.

Registered charity, The ExtraCare Charitable Trust, whose residents had the nation welling up and laughing out loud, has announced its plans for a lasting legacy project to the televised social experiment with its neighbouring nurseries: Beeston Nursery, Grosvenor House, Tiny Talkers Day, and Highbank Primary and Nursery School.

A rolling six-week intergenerational activity programme will see twelve children meet with ten older residents to share activities including collaborative art, sports, and trips out, culminating in a party day - the chance for residents and their younger pals to celebrate their new-found friendships.

Mick Laverty, Chief Executive at The ExtraCare Charitable Trust, commented: “We have been overwhelmed with the response to the Channel 4 documentary and are immensely proud of our older people who took part.

“The results that followed the twelve-week experiment have really highlighted to us the positive impact and tangible benefits on health and wellbeing that bringing the two generations together can have. This is why we have committed to ensuring more of our residents have the chance to spend quality time building bonds with the very young.

“We’re pleased to announce that we’re going beyond the lasting legacy at Lark Hill and have plans underway to embed intergenerational activity into all of our retirement communities.”

Residents at ExtraCare’s retirement villages are to benefit from a range of intergenerational activities, including a playgroup for 0-5 years at its Stoke Gifford Village in Bristol and plans for a play area for its Solihull Village currently in development. A number of its villages are already bringing the young and old together. Residents have visited local schools to listen to pupils reading and help with work. Children have attended craft classes run by residents. At the group’s Longbridge Village in Birmingham, an established Stay and Play group meets weekly which sees residents mixing with children just a few months old.

The TV show saw a nursery created within ExtraCare’s Lark Hill Retirement Village in Nottingham. A team of geriatric specialists measured the impact of the intergenerational activity, focusing on mood, memory and mobility, and the effect on the children was also assessed.

The BAFTA-nominated five-part series concluded on Monday 5th November at 9pm on Channel 4. All five episodes of Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds are available now on All 4.

www.extracare.org.uk