Just days left to give your views on Age Friendly Strategy

There are just a few days left to contribute to a new strategy prioritising the needs of the older community as part of a consultation being led by Derry City and Strabane District Council.

The consultation, which closes on December 17^th, is one element of the campaign of engagement with older people which will help shape the new Age Friendly Strategy for Derry and Strabane, and is currently being developed by EOS Community Consulting. The strategy will ensure that the needs of older people are reflected in all future policies and services for the Council area.

A Co-Design Steering Group of older people and people who advocate for older people will meet monthly, and stakeholder workshops have taken place in recent months involving a range of partners.   

As the consultation runs into its final week, Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Alderman Graham Warke, urged older people to take this final opportunity to give their views.

"It's essential that we give proper consideration to the views of the older community and to change our approaches to support and enable older people to live the lives they deserve. Age should not be perceived as a barrier to living well, and this Council wants to create a City and District where older people can live long and fulfilling lives, supported and empowered through the creation of a better physical and social living environment.

"To effectively achieve this we need the input of older people across Derry and Strabane to identify the areas of greatest need. I would really appeal to people to take this last opportunity to complete the survey and help make this place a welcoming and enriching place for all generations."

There will be a series of other chances for the public to engage including focus group meetings, pop up engagement opportunities, creative workshops and even postcards based on age friendly themes which can be returned by Freepost.

Age Friendly Co-Ordinator with Council, Ciara Burke, said she hoped the activities would provide a comprehensive view of public sector services and help shape an action plan based on what matters most to people as they grow older in the district. "We want people of all ages to actively participate in community activities and for everyone to be treated with respect, regardless of their age. Age Friendly places are communities where the environment, activities and services all support and enable older people. Our Council is a member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Network for Age Friendly Cities and Communities and as part of our commitment we are dedicated to promoting the interests of our older population.

"Older people have a wealth of lived experience. The purpose of this consultation is to listen to and learn from their experiences, hopes and concerns so that the strategy and action plan can make a meaningful difference in their lives. I would really encourage people to engage with the process, to help us develop the best approaches to help us promote positive, active and healthy ageing."

Age-friendly benefits everyone, but for the purposes of this consultation, people aged 50 and over are invited to contribute. You can access the survey online until December 17th at https://form.typeform.com/to/VJDSk0p8