18 January 2011
AGE participated to the peer review entitled “A good place to grow older”. Rodd Bond, member of the UAIL expert group, was present at the meeting in London and presented AGE contribution based on a common work of the Social Inclusion- and, Universal Access and Independent Living Expert Groups.
Facing a novel situation in which the number of citizens over the state pension age exceeds those younger than 16, the UK is on a mission to make each village, town or city a place where the independence, well-being and participation of older people is supported and developed, and where the challenges and opportunities of an ageing society are addressed. UK Government departments and agencies and other local umbrella organisations have been invited to sign up to a national commitment to translate this joint vision into practical, local responses.
A number of guiding principles, such as involving the whole community – tomorrow’s older people as well as today’s – promoting equity between different groups within communities, and maximising collaboration between statutory and non-governmental organisations, form the basis of the agreement. To ensure these pledges make a practical difference, the signatories have undertaken to develop activity plans and jointly review progress against the common vision.
The objective of the Peer Review was to assess the UK experience and to foster learning on how to release the creativity and energy of citizens, interest groups and policymakers to achieve a practical response to the demographic challenge at local level.
All documents are available here.
