DEEDS represent Derry and Strabane on Centre for Ageing Better UK Wide Peer Call for Age Friendly Wo

Services from Derry City and Strabane District Council were delighted to be a guest speaker and offer best practice advice on Age Friendly work on a recent Peer Call with representatives from across the UK.

Sinead Devine, Project Co-ordinator DEEDs and George McGowan, Project Director with The Old Library Trust Healthy Living Centre presented on the call to over 40 Age Friendly Cities and Communities representatives from Manchester, Sunderland and Bristol, with Derry City and Strabane District Council Age Friendly Co-ordinator, Ciara Burke, in attendance.

The call was part of the Centre for Ageing Better UK Network, a charitable foundation funded by an endowment from The National Lottery Community Fund and part of the Government’s What Works Network, which aims to improve the design and delivery of public services.

Over 40 various Age Friendly cities and communities’ representatives from across the four nations attended the presentation, showcasing and recognising the achievements of DEEDS in the North West.

Ciara Burke, Age Friendly Co-ordinator for DCSDC, said, “Locally we have many key partners, from community and voluntary sector as well as statutory partners continuously delivering services to help build an Age-friendly movement and creating Age-friendly opportunities for this region to be a place to better place to age well within. 

“This was a great achievement for DEEDs to be showcased through the Centre for Ageing Better UK Network and the DEEDs service model has been an interesting insight for many Age Friendly Communities across the UK to learn more.”

The Centre for Ageing Better are pioneering ways to make ageing better a reality for everyone. They aim to inspire and inform those in power to tackle the inequalities faces by older people, as well as call out and challenge ageism in all its forms.

George McGowan, Project Director with The Old Library Trust Healthy Living Centre, said the presentation outlined the work to date, their award-winning responses to the Covid-19 pandemic and plans for future service delivery.

“The Centre for Ageing Better UK invited the Old Library Trusts DEEDS (Dementia engaged and empowered in Derry & Strabane) project to present their approach, experience and service delivery that is delivered across the Derry and Strabane district in both urban and rural areas to support people living with Dementia, their careers and others to encourage this community to become a more Dementia friendly place to grow older in. 

“It was great to be recognised for our best practice efforts and I look forward to making new connections and partnerships for us all within the Age Friendly movement following on from this event.”

For further information on the Centre for Ageing Better UK, please visit www.ageing-better.org.uk