Member's statement: Global Intergenerational Week
Member's statement by Mr Nick Mathison on .
- MLA
- Mr Nick Mathison
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 27 April 2026
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Global Intergenerational Week
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5508122
Read the official Assembly record
Text
We are currently in the middle of Global Intergenerational Week. I take the opportunity to pay tribute to the work of Linking Generations Northern Ireland, the only organisation that leads on intergenerational work in Northern Ireland, having done so since 2009. Any Member who has engaged with Vicki Titterington, who heads up that organisation, will be familiar with her passion and drive to support intergenerational work in Northern Ireland and her commitment to embedding intergenerational approaches across our society and at every level of government here. Linking Generations coordinates a network of over 1,700 members and, crucially, is the Northern Ireland lead for work associated with Global Intergenerational Week. The week runs from 24 to 30 April, and it celebrates and promotes all the excellent intergenerational activity in Northern Ireland. That international week is an opportunity to set out a vision of the sort of society that we want to see in Northern Ireland for our children to grow up and grow old in. I am particularly pleased that Twinkl NI is promoting a range of intergenerational resources for use in our schools and that Public Health Agency funding continues to support a number of schools across Northern Ireland in delivering intergenerational activities in their local communities. There is a great track record of embedding intergenerational work in our schools in Northern Ireland, with the age-friendly agenda and action plans in our councils and the fact that intergenerational approaches are referenced in the Programme for Government. Unfortunately, however, there are threats to that work. Following the winding-up of its former host charity in England, Linking Generations has found itself in a very difficult and challenging financial position. It is now a stand-alone charity in Northern Ireland, and, aside from a small pot of Public Health Agency funding to help to retain some daily operations, it is without sustainable funding. That means that it will be unable to deliver work at the scale that we have seen before and that retaining staff to drive that work will be impossible. I encourage all Ministers, councils and arm's-length bodies in Northern Ireland to look at any opportunities to maximise investment in Linking Generations and intergenerational work more broadly in Northern Ireland. It is a key aspect of a healthy society, and it is vital that it is allowed to continue.
387 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.03 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.86).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.86 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.03 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.88 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.12 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:27 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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