SWINDON OLDER PEOPLE’S FORUM

The past six months have great efforts towards establishing an Older People’s Forum in Swindon. Dave Brown, the local organiser for RSVP West, has been working with other senior citizens to develop ideas. On 1 November a well attended open meeting, sponsored by Age UK and RSVP, gave unanimous endorsement to establishing a Forum.

Dave Brown, announcing the new Forum

Over 400 Older People’s Forums exist throughout the UK to promote the welfare and interests of this age group by ensuring that they have a louder voice on matters which influence their everyday lives. The aims of the Forum are captured in a draft constitution that covers general principles:

• It will be run by older people for older people — they decide their own agenda. All participants will be volunteers.
• It will combat ageism and promote a positive image of older people.
• It will be representative of the views of older people.
• It will be an independent, democratic, non-party political, non-sectarian and non-profit making organisation.
• It will welcome participation regardless of ethnic origin, disability, faith, gender or sexuality.

Using RSVP funds awarded under the grant competition organised by The Times, David Brown and colleagues will develop the Forum’s work over the next 12 months. Initially the Forum will need to address some challenges. These include increasing awareness of the Forum’s existence, widening participation and engagement, capturing local issues and concerns of older people and formalising links with existing groups, Forums and networks in the South West.

“We've been very pleased with the response to the idea of setting up an Older Peoples Forum in Swindon, ” Dave Brown said. “It's always important for our age group to have a voice but even more so in the current economic and political climate when we are wrongly being blamed for most of the world’s woes!”

For more information, contact Dave Brown.

© 2003–12 RSVP West. Page last updated on 16 November 2011.