EVENTS designed to bridge the generation gap are being held in Blackbird Leys, Oxford.

The charity FullCircle, based in Donnington Community Centre, Oxford, will run three groups for the first time in Blackbird Leys after receiving a £13,000 grant.

Each of the groups will meet on a weekly basis during lunchtimes across the three Blackbird Leys primary schools: Pegasus; Orchard Meadow; and Windale Community.

The first group is expected to be up and running in January 2014.

The groups will bring younger and older generations together with the aim of building respect and understanding across the ages.

Rowen Smith, manager at FullCircle, said: “We are really looking forward to starting our project in Blackbird Leys.

“The groups bring mutual understanding, respect and friendship between generations and they find they have a lot in common.

“They really enjoy spending time with each other and can learn a lot from each other.”

FullCircle started operating in Oxfordshire in 2001 and has groups set up across 19 schools (both primary and secondary) in the county.

Every week, a small group of five or six older volunteers come together with a similar number of children to spend a session in school and take part in a range of extra-curricular activities, which include art and crafts. The groups are managed by a facilitator.

The charity sets up the sessions in the schools and oversees them for six to nine months, before handing over ownership to the school. It then sets up a new project in another school.

Mr Rowe said the funding gave the charity a chance to focus on the Blackbird Leys area.

He said: “We’ve rarely had the opportunity to work in a whole area but this funding now gives us a chance to be the heart of the community and work more intensively in this locality.

“I really hope we can deliver a good project for the community and set something up which will thrive for years and years to come.”

The money was raised by HealthStrong, a community health lottery which tackles health inequalities in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.

The grant was awarded by the People’s Health Trust through Active Communities, a funding programme which invests in small community groups.

Chris Lunn, director of HealthStrong, said: “This project, supported using money raised by HealthStrong, is extremely valuable to a wide range of individuals in this local area. We look forward to hearing more about how this initiative enables people to live longer healthier lives.”