Impact & Learning

Key learnings

Engagement Levels: The project reached 364 participants at an introductory level (Level 2), through outreach sessions with schools, care homes, and youth groups. These activities were designed to encourage further involvement but often remained short-term engagements.

At a more sustained level (Level 3/4), 70 participants were regularly involved in meaningful and intensive activities. Of these, 23 participants remained engaged from the start to the end of the project, demonstrating a strong commitment to the initiative. However, maintaining long-term engagement, particularly with outreach groups, proved challenging.

Wellbeing improvements: Quantitative data collected using the ONS4 measures showed improvements in participants’ life satisfaction, sense of purpose, and emotional wellbeing. Participants frequently described the sessions as a source of connection and relief from stress. For example, one participant shared:
“This group has been a lifeline for me. It’s a place to connect with others and feel like I matter.”

Social isolation: Bay Create provided a regular and reliable opportunity for participants to meet others and engage in creative activities. For some, this was a significant factor in reducing feelings of loneliness. However, maintaining connections with certain groups, such as care home residents, was difficult due to the scale of the project and ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. Outreach activities were often finite rather than ongoing, limiting their long-term impact.

Intergenerational connections: Mixed-age sessions were well attended, but participants often gravitated towards their own age groups. While direct interaction between generations was limited in some cases, the presence of different age groups in shared activities was still valued.
Discussions around gender identity and inclusivity, initiated by younger participants, were a notable success.

Volunteer contributions: Volunteers played a key role in supporting the project, with some dedicating over 25 hours to assisting participants and activities. However, volunteer availability fluctuated, requiring ongoing recruitment efforts. Two young volunteers from Whitley Bay High School were particularly impactful, helping to foster intergenerational bonds and supporting older participants.

Challenges and Limitations

Bay Create faced several challenges during its implementation:

• COVID-19 restrictions: Social distancing and other measures limited the ability to bring mixed-age groups together in person, particularly during the early stages of the project.
• Sustained engagement: While the project successfully engaged a large number of people at an introductory level, maintaining long-term involvement proved more difficult, particularly with outreach groups.
• Intergenerational interaction: Encouraging direct collaboration between age groups required ongoing effort, and some participants preferred to remain within their own peer groups.