University of Surrey spin-out boosts kids' social skills and fights loneliness in older people

The ConnectPlayWise platform allows children aged 7–12 to connect safely with older adults – for example grandparents living in a different country or lonely people in care homes – by playing fun, interactive mini-games together. Adults on the platform undergo enhanced DBS checks and digital identity verification, with controlled onboarding to ensure every match is appropriate for the relationship context. These games not only improve socio-emotional skills in the young people, but also help reduce isolation in older adults, offering a purposeful, playful way to connect across generations. Based on insights from psychology, education and tourism, the platform helps solve social scourges at opposite ends of the age spectrum by building intergenerational understanding, learning and friendships. 

ConnectPlayWise is supported by Innovate Surrey Limited, which leads the University of Surrey's technology transfer, commercialisation and spin-out support for our research academics. The team is collaborating with Safe in Our World, an organisation who strives to create and foster worldwide mental health awareness within the video game industry. 

The £300,000 follow-on funding from Innovate UK (ICURe Exploit, FY24 Round 4) will bring the intergenerational platform to market. The learning platform is developed in collaboration with PlayerThree and currently entering the beta testing stage. 

Dr Brigitte Stangl, Founder and CEO of ConnectPlayWise and Associate Professor in Tourism at the University of Surrey, said: 

"Every parent and teacher knows children need to learn how to share, listen and manage their emotions –  but with teacher shortages, overwhelmed parents and long waits for therapy - there are fewer adults and less time to help them practice essential life skills. Meanwhile, older people in care homes or living far from family often go days without a meaningful conversation. 

"Our platform brings them together through simple games they can play on screen. A child in Guildford can play with their grandmother in Poland. A Year 4 class can connect with residents at a local care home. Every adult is DBS-checked and identity-verified before they can take part – and the games give children a safe space to build social skills, while giving older adults something to look forward to." 

The spin-out builds on previous Games and Innovation Nexus (GAIN) funding and a full journey through Innovate UK's multi-stage ICURe programme (Discover, Explore and Exploit). The team is currently seeking beta testers and further funding for their services – including opportunities for branded or sponsored mini-games. 

Sarah Sorrell, Charity Director of Safe in Our World, said: 

"Partnering with ConnectPlayWise means investing in more than education: it's about bridging generations, fostering empathy and creating moments of joy that enrich lives on both sides. Through playful, meaningful interactions, children and older adults not only learn from each other, they grow together." 

The platform aims to reduce loneliness in care homes and improve resident satisfaction, while also providing schools with a low-cost, in-house solution for delivering social-emotional learning (SEL). For families, it offers an affordable tool to support children's mental wellbeing.  

The platform also aligns with government priorities across education, mental health and elderly care and is particularly valuable for reaching rural or underserved communities where SEL support is limited.  

On the global stage, ConnectPlayWise contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), 4 (Quality Education) and 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and could help lower the UK's long-term mental health costs – currently estimated at £117.9 billion annually.