Tilbake til portefølje

Generasjon M

Generasjon M helps young people enter the workforce while helping to reduce loneliness and inactivity among the elderly.

Photo: Generasjon M Photographer Sveinung Bråthen.
Generasjon M. Fotograf Sveinung Bråthen.

Two Social Challenges – A Single Solution

Many young people want to work, but may find it difficult to find work in a tough labour market. On the other hand, many elderly people miss more activity, socialising and meaningful days at weekends when there are fewer activities in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Generasjon M help young people enter the labour market while helping to reduce loneliness and inactivity among the elderly. They do this by employing young people in the age group 14-20 years as ‘M-friends’. The M-friends carry out activities for the elderly, individually and in groups, in nursing homes and in assisted living facilities.

Generasjon M have also expanded its services to include residential communities and activity centers for people with disabilities.

Innovative Collaborations

In recent years, Generasjon M have made some important changes to their business model. To provide the best services and demonstrate its social value creation, securing predictable and long-term contracts with municipalities and nursing homes has been crucial. They have therefore developed a new type of agreement involving three parties: Generasjon M as the provider, a private financial partner who covers part of the municipality’s costs for a three-year period, and a municipality that tests the services and commits to continuing the agreement if the social goals are met. This innovative agreement reduces the financial risk for municipalities and gives Generasjon M the opportunity to document its social value creation.

Generasjon M was awarded the title of Social Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016.

Social results 2025 - Impact Performance

384 M-friends

Number of young people in employment

41 707

Number of intergenerational meetings

Staff at the venues believe (Staff have responded to the statements)

I experience that the activities are adapted to the residents' resources and needs
94%
I experience that the interaction between the residents and the M-friends works well
95%

M-friends believe (The M-friends have responded to the statements)

Since I became an M-friend, my everyday life has become more meaningful
98%
Since I became an M-friend, I have become more confident in myself
95%

How the figures were sourced:

Number of young people in employment: The figure is based on the number of young people who received a salary payment in 2025.

Number of intergenerational meetings: Visit leaders report the number of residents and users who participate at each visit, broken down by the categories “high contact”, “low contact” and “on greeting terms”. The figure for number of intergenerational meetings is the total of this.

Staff at the care homes: Generasjon M conducts surveys among staff at the care homes where the M-friends work. In 2025, they received responses from approximately 380 staff members in the following municipalities: Ringerike, Øvre Eiker, Holmestrand, Moss, Våler, Indre Østfold, Aurskog-Høland and Nordre Follo. The percentages refer to the proportion who responded that they agree with the various statements “to some extent”, “to a large extent” or “to a very large extent”, or alternatively “a little more”, “quite a bit more” and “much more”. Only staff who have a basis for responding are included in the results; employees who responded “don’t know” have therefore been excluded. If “to some extent” is excluded, the figures are 78% for the question about activities being adapted to residents’ needs and 74% for the interaction between residents and M-friends.

The M-friends: Generasjon M also conducts anonymous surveys among the M-friends. In 2025, they received responses from 172 out of a total of 218 young people across 8 municipalities. The percentages refer to the proportion who responded that they agree with the various statements “to some extent”, “to a large extent” or “to a very large extent”. If “to some extent” is excluded, the figures are 67% for the question about the M-friends’ everyday life having become more meaningful and 66% for the question about having become more confident in themselves.

About the company

Founded: 2011 as a young enterprise, and as a non-profit limited liability company in 2013.
Founders: Christina Væting Nergård and Anne Stine Hole
Type of entity: Non-profit limited liability company.