Readers will be well aware of the care and housing crises and the growing crisis of loneliness and isolation faced by younger and older people.
What is less well known is that these are symptoms of how age segregated Britain has become. Many of us have little contact with people from other generations outside our own families. And some local authorities have much higher or lower average ages than others.
This age segregation has huge social and economic consequences. Lack of contact means less trust and understanding across generations; it wastes the talents, knowledge and experiences of all generations; and it can create divisions between young and old as evidenced in recent elections.
Of course it doesn’t have to be this way. Across the UK, grassroots projects are bringing older and younger people together to tackle these issues and create stronger communities.
