My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
Yes
I am 18 years of age or above, by the application deadline.
Yes
My organisation is a registered legal entity
Yes
My organisation is a non-profit (e.g. school, university, or local authority) — not a for-profit, which can only join as a partner.
Yes
If there is a for-profit organisation as a partner in my initiative, they work on a cost-recovery basis only.
Yes
My solution is implemented at scale, or if not, I have a clear business plan, a minimum viable solution (prototype, pilot, or proof of concept), evidence of access to a lease for the space you are leveraging, and evidence of work or impact in London within your coalition.
Yes
I am aware that, if I am submitting more than one application to a Challenge run by Ashoka and Go! London, only one of them is able to progress through the stages.
Yes
Are you an employee (and their children and grandchildren) of Ashoka or any of its respective affiliates and participating advertising and promotion agencies?
No
I have read and accepted the Challenge Terms & Conditions.
Yes
First Name
Charlotte
Last Name
Miller
Pronouns
She/Her
Email address
I would like to receive notifications and updates about Go London!, Ashoka, Ashoka Changemakers, and other Ashoka opportunities.
1
Are you an Ashoka Fellow?
No
Are you applying from an organization founded by an Ashoka Fellow?
No
If you are applying from an organization founded by an Ashoka Fellow, please specify the name and organisation of the fellow below.
Lead Organisation Name
Intergenerational Music Making
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
2018
Initiative Title
Play it Forward: Reimagining Spaces for Intergenerational Movement
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
https://www.imm-music.com
Initiative Stage
Idea (You have a solid concept and are hoping to get started in the future)
Sectors/Themes: What topic does your project most directly relate to?
Civic Engagement
Initiative Summary: Describe your initiative in one sentence
Reimagining Hounslow's Bedfont Hub into an intergenerational, inclusive space for playful, co-designed physical activity that empowers young people and transforms community wellbeing through movement
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve and who will benefit the most from your solution? How close are you to the problem and/or community impacted?
In Hounslow, too many children and young people (CYP) are growing up without access to inclusive, safe and inspiring spaces to move, play and connect. 44% of local children are insufficiently active, with the least active concentrated in areas like Feltham and Bedfont, where health inequalities, social isolation and limited access to youth provision intersect. Girls, neurodivergent CYP, those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and ethnically diverse communities are disproportionately affected. Traditional sport settings often feel intimidating, exclusionary or simply irrelevant. At the same time, local community spaces like Bedfont Hub remain underutilised and disconnected from CYP despite their potential to become vibrant centres of physical, social and emotional wellbeing. We are embedded in this challenge. Intergenerational Music Making (IMM) has worked in Hounslow since 2018, delivering co-designed creative health programmes for underserved CYP and older adults. We’ve run pilots from Bedfont Hub, trained local Movement Champions, and built deep partnerships with schools, youth services, care providers and local health systems. Through this, we’ve heard repeatedly from young people that they want more accessible, playful, inclusive ways to be active close to home and free of judgement. This initiative is a direct response to that call, grounded in place, relationships and lived experience.
Your approach: How are you/ will you addressing the problem outlined above? How does your solution unlock or reimagine access to spaces for sport and physical activity? What role do landowners, local authorities, or other decision-making stakeholders play in your approach? We'd love to know about the origin of your idea, and what was your "aha" moment" that led you to take action?
Our approach is built on the transformative power of reimagined spaces and intergenerational connection. ‘Play it Forward’ activates underused or overlooked community venues like the Bedfont Hub in Hounslow by embedding inclusive, music-led movement sessions that connect children, young people and older adults in safe, creative environments. Through co-design with youth and community stakeholders, these sessions reframe physical activity as joyful, social and culturally responsive. Our "aha" moment came during the COVID-19 recovery period, when we witnessed the dramatic impact of isolation and inactivity on both young people and older adults. Intergenerational Music Making had piloted physical activity work during our award-winning ‘Move and Groove’ programme. We saw that when you bring generations together in familiar, hyper-local spaces be it a library, church hall or community hub the barriers to participation (social, cultural, financial) dissolve. Local authorities and landowners are central. Our partnership with London Borough of Hounslow, care providers and school networks allows us to unlock space access, support programming, and ensure inclusive design. By embedding trained Movement Champions from the community itself, our model ensures sustainability, community ownership and peer-led expansion into other local venues—truly reimagining space as a platform for resilience, health, and belonging.
Collaboration with young people and the community: In what ways does your initiative engage young people and community members closest to the problem? What role do they play in building the solution you deliver?
Young people are not just beneficiaries of Play it Forward they are co-creators, leaders and changemakers. From the outset, we embed youth voice into design, delivery and legacy planning. Through creative consultation workshops at schools like Reach Children’s Hub, Feltham College, and Marjory Kinnon School, local young people help shape themes, activities, and music styles used in the intergenerational movement sessions. Their input ensures our sessions are culturally relevant, age-inclusive, and rooted in lived experience. We also train a cohort of young Movement Champions, aged 14–25, drawn from Hounslow schools, youth groups (e.g. Hounslow Youth Counselling Service) and referral partners (PRUs, social prescribers, youth mental health services). These Champions receive training in facilitation, safeguarding, inclusive movement, and intergenerational practice, enabling them to co-lead sessions, mentor others, and drive sustained peer engagement. In turn, Champions are supported by older community volunteers, forming a shared leadership model that reflects community diversity. Co-design sessions take place at Bedfont Hub, and feedback is gathered routinely via creative youth-led evaluation tools. By centring young voices in governance, design, and delivery, Play it Forward becomes a living example of community-powered innovation, owned and sustained by those closest to the problem and the solution.
Potential for/Evidence of Impact: How do you imagine your initiative will make a difference in unlocking spaces for and access to physical activity and sport so far? If you have already implemented it, what difference have you made so far? What is the impact your initiative has had , and or what impact do you envision having in the future?
Our initiative has already demonstrated measurable success through the delivery of “Move and Groove” where we reimagined community venues such as care homes, libraries, and youth centres into dynamic spaces of intergenerational physical activity. Across 12 months, Move and Groove directly engaged 2,460 participants, including 810 children and young people and 975 older adults, with 93% of surveyed participants reporting improved physical wellbeing and 89% noting increased confidence in trying new activities. The “Play it Forward” model builds on this strong foundation with a scalable framework centred on co-design, local leadership, and creative health approaches. By embedding Movement Champions within the community and activating underused local spaces like Bedfont Hub, we tackle isolation, inactivity, and intergenerational disconnect in a joined-up way. In the first year, we anticipate engaging over 750 beneficiaries, with weekly sessions tailored for diverse needs and abilities. Our champions will extend reach further through schools, GPs, care settings, and faith/community centres, making spaces feel accessible, welcoming, and relevant. With sustainable funding for Years 2 and 3, we would increase our reach by a further 1,500 participants, expand our toolkit, and publish a refined model for local and national adoption. We’ve had powerful qualitative feedback too. One 16-year-old participant said: “It’s the only time I feel like someone wants to move with me, not against me.” A care home resident shared: “I haven’t danced in years. Now I do it every Thursday.” Our impact is not just in numbers it’s in the way we unlock space, agency, and joy across generations. With Go! London’s support, we will consolidate this work into a replicable, data-rich
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
What makes "Play it Forward" different is that it doesn’t just create space for sport and play it radically redefines who belongs in these spaces, how they’re used, and who leads them. While many initiatives focus on young people in isolation, we are one of the few physical activity models in London that adopts a genuinely intergenerational approach, rooted in co-production with both young people and older adults. Our sessions combine creative movement, music and storytelling — engaging cross-generational groups in co-designed activities that are culturally responsive, locally rooted, and radically inclusive. We train Movement Champions aged 16 to 80+, blending community leadership with physical activity facilitation, and use our digital toolkit to amplify access to these experiences across schools, youth services, care homes and community groups. Unlike conventional fitness models, our approach sees community members as creators, not just consumers of sport and play. Our innovation lies in both practice and structure: we repurpose underused venues like Bedfont Hub into welcoming, intergenerational movement spaces, supported by a coalition of landowners, health professionals, care providers, youth workers, and social prescribers. We address systemic exclusion by shifting power co-owning design, space, and delivery with those closest to the barriers. This is not just a programme. It’s a movement architecture model designed to scale, shift norms, and activate joy and belonging through intergenerational sport and play.
Viability and Scalability: How are you setting your initiative up for success, and what is your plan to ensure operational sustainability of your solution and its impact? What are your ideas for scaling your initiative to the next level?
Play it Forward is the first intergenerational physical activity initiative in Hounslow to actively repurpose underused community venues as inclusive, co-owned wellbeing spaces designed with young people and older adults, for all generations. Where most physical activity programmes focus on a single demographic, we intentionally bridge generational divides, using co-designed movement sessions to address loneliness, exclusion, and inactivity together. Our innovation lies not just in who we engage, but in how: we reimagine traditional delivery by embedding creative movement into intergenerational dialogue, enabling young people to lead, collaborate, and learn alongside older residents. These shared experiences are reinforced by a Movement Champions model local residents (aged 16–80+) trained to activate their own communities, with access to a digital toolkit of movement activities, music playlists, and community engagement tips. The programme also embeds systemic innovation: we are working directly with landowners (Bedfont Hub), local authorities (London Borough of Hounslow), health teams, schools and care providers to make shared use of space the norm activating a new model of community stewardship. Our approach shifts power, reframes who “owns” community movement, and redefines physical activity spaces as intergenerational, creative, and purpose-driven inspiring long-term behaviour change across age, culture, and postcode.
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
Intergenerational Music Making (IMM) is the lead applicant and delivery organisation, responsible for the strategic design, coordination, and implementation of “Play it Forward.” IMM will lead programme delivery at the Bedfont Hub, provide trained creative health and physical activity facilitators, manage safeguarding and evaluation, and oversee stakeholder engagement. Movement Champions, recruited locally, will co-deliver sessions and lead peer engagement. Across the three years, we aim to train 24 Champions (young and older adults), embedding lived experience and leadership at the project’s core. These Champions will receive CPD, mentorship, and progression pathways into local volunteering or employment routes, with their voices shaping every layer of the project. Hounslow Council (Children’s Services, CYP Health, Adult Social Care) is an anchor partner, facilitating access to strategic networks and referring participants via their mental health, youth, and older adult teams. Bedfont Community Centre (landowner) has committed use of the space and is part of planning and co-hosting the project. They are key to sustaining the hub as a legacy wellbeing space. Additional partners include: Reach Children’s Hub, Feltham PRU, and local schools (Marjory Kinnon, Oriel Academy, Springwest, Edward Pauling) – for participant referrals and co-design input. GP surgeries, Hounslow Social Prescribing teams (via RUILS and PCNs) – linking CYP and older adults with long-term health needs. Care Homes & Independent Living Partners (including Norwood Green, Cranford, Anchor, HC-One) – providing intergenerational partners and participation settings. St Mary’s University Medical School recently approved IMM as a placement provider for their medical students, who will gain community health experience through this programme. Each partner brings specific expertise, access, and community relationships, forming a powerful ecosystem that supports inclusive, intergenerational access to physical activity and transforms how space is activated in Hounslow.
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/to grow.
March–May 2026: Capacity Building Phase We will engage fully in the Go! London capacity building programme, refining delivery models, strengthening evaluation frameworks, and co-developing updated implementation plans with our youth and community stakeholders. This period will also allow us to formalise and expand our partnerships with Hounslow Council, NHS social prescribing teams, Bedfont Community Centre, schools, and care networks. June–August 2026: Pre-Delivery Planning & Training Recruitment and onboarding of 12 new Movement Champions (including local young people) will begin. These individuals will receive targeted CPD training in physical literacy, creative facilitation, safeguarding, intergenerational practice and community leadership. We will finalise logistics with Bedfont Hub, adapt the session formats for seasonal accessibility, and activate marketing and referral pathways through schools, care homes, youth services, and GP surgeries. September 2026: Delivery Launch The first wave of 40 intergenerational movement sessions will begin weekly at Bedfont Hub, co-led by trained Champions and our expert IMM facilitators. Data collection and learning will be embedded from the outset. October–December 2026: Toolkit Co-Creation In parallel with delivery, we will begin co-producing a digital toolkit with young people and older participants to support replication and wider use of the model. January–August 2027: Continued Delivery + Community Ripple Movement Champions will start supporting local care homes, schools and youth clubs with satellite activity, while main sessions continue weekly. We will publish mid-project insights and share learnings across the Go! London network. September 2027 Onwards: Legacy Planning & Scale Working closely with landowners and commissioners, we will explore how this model can be sustained and scaled across additional sites in Hounslow. Champions will mentor new cohorts, and our open-access resources will be made available city-wide.
Capacity-Building Participation and Support Funding: If you were to make it as a finalist, you will be required to participate in an 8-week capacity building programme. If funding/ cost is a barrier to your participation, we may be able to offer up to 10,000 GBP of grant money available to support you. Please break down below, if it is the case, what costs you would incur and you would need covered. (Please note that there are restrictions on how the grant money may be used; please refer to the T&Cs for further details.
We are fully committed to participating in the 8-week capacity-building programme and see it as a vital opportunity to refine, deepen, and prepare our initiative for sustained impact. However, as a small non-profit with a national remit, dedicated staff time and access-related costs are a barrier. We would welcome support through the £10,000 participation grant to ensure our team can engage meaningfully throughout the process. Breakdown of support funding required: Staff Capacity for Participation – £5,400 Backfill for Programme Lead (1 day/week for 8 weeks): £2,400 Time for IMM Project Coordinator to participate & contribute to capacity sessions: £1,600 Specialist support from IMM’s Evaluation/Comms Lead to prepare deliverables, materials and peer learning inputs: £1,400 Youth & Community Participation – £2,000 Stipends and travel support for 4 youth co-designers and 2 older adult Champions to attend selected sessions and feedback events, ensuring lived experience is embedded in the development phase. Travel & Access Costs – £1,200 Travel to in-person workshops/events (if required), including staff and Movement Champion reps. Digital Access & Resources – £1,400 Costs associated with digital platforms, design support, and co-development tools needed for effective engagement and prototyping during the programme. We are confident that this support will enable full, inclusive participation and help us contribute richly to the learning cohort while strengthening our capacity for delivery and scale.
