News

• Survey to mark Grandparent’s day reveals intergenerational give and take
• 40% of grandparents see their grandchildren at least once a week.
• Grandparents give money and time to their grandchildren who repay them by keeping them young, active and in touch

Grandparents today play a more active role in their grandchildren’s lives than ever before, as the role of the modern grandparent continues to evolve.

To celebrate National Grandparents Day on 7^th October, Saga conducted research among 11,000 of its members to see just how special the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is. The results show that grandparents value spending a lot of time with their grandchildren, with four in ten seeing them at least once a week.  The time they spend together is action packed and full of new experiences.

Time spent outdoors is top of the agenda, with some of the most popular places for grandparents to take their grandchildren being; parks and gardens (56%), the beach (26%), or for a healthy outdoor stroll (52%).   Others entertain with trips to the shops (29%) or out for dinner (56%) or to the cinema (19%).

This time spent together has a range of benefits for both young and old alike.  The majority (89%) of grandparents say they enjoy the company of their grandchildren, over half (51%) say they keep them active and 43% say that their grandchildren keep them feeling young and teach them new things.   In return grandparents enjoy teaching their grandchildren new skills such as cooking and crafting and teaching them about their family history.

Modern grandparenting means that people see their grandchildren much more often than only on family occasions. Over a quarter go on holiday together, and the same number look after their grandchildren during the school holidays or indeed are regular childcare during term time.  Perhaps highlighting the special bond between grandparents and their grandchildren most of all, is that four in ten grandchildren seek their grandparents out when they need help with something and one in ten grandparents also go to their grandchildren for advice.

Grandparents also lend a hand financially - over a quarter (28%) said they provided their grandchildren with regular financial support and almost one in five (18%) say that they have given their grandchildren a lump sum, most of this money is used as pocket money (39%), or to pay for education related costs such as books and equipment.

It is the recreational trips that grandparents make with their grandchildren where the costs mount up, grandparents say they typically spend £43 a month entertaining their grandchildren. 

Lisa Harris, Head of Communications at Saga commented “There is often a very special bond between a grandchild and their grandparent and these relationships should be treasured and celebrated for the very tangible benefits they bring. Not only are grandparents proving to be a positive financial influence on grandchildren, but a social influence too.

It’s clear that sharing these skills and experiences between the generations can benefit all with grandchildren getting sound advice on life and money whilst grandparents benefit from the time they spend with grandchildren who are keeping them young at heart.

Saga Possibilities Members can enter a ballot to win tickets for them and their grandchildren to an exclusive performance of Room on the Broom on 5^th January 2019at the Lyric Theatre in London.  To apply for tickets, visit https://www.saga.co.uk/membership.

ENDS

Contact the Saga Press Office email pressoffice@saga.co.uk or call 01303 774716

¹Populus interviewed 11,334 adults, all aged 50+ online between 19^th and 25^th June 2018. Data was weighted to be nationally representative. Populus is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules; for more information www.populus.co.uk

About Saga

Saga is a leading provider of products and services primarily tailored for customers over the age of 50 in the UK. The Saga brand has been carefully developed over the past 60 years to become one of the most recognised and trusted brands among UK consumers aged over 50. Saga is synonymous in the UK with the over 50s market and is recognised for its high-quality products and services.  These include cruises and holidays, home and motor insurance, savings and share dealing and the UK’s award-winning Saga Magazine.