1st October is the International Day of Older People. To mark the occasion, Monmouthshire County Council’s Older People’s Champion, Cllr Jackie Strong, Cabinet Member for Cabinet Member for Social Care, Safeguarding and Accessible Health Services, Cllr Ian Chandler and Cabinet Member for Equalities and Engagement, Cllr Angela Sandles will join older people from the community in Caldicot.

Volunteers from St Mary’s Church have been running social groups on Tuesdays and Fridays for many years and invited councillors to join them for the occasion.

Research shows that volunteering can improve social connections, enhancing our sense of purpose and well-being. Despite this, many older people encounter barriers to getting involved in all the ways they would like.

The purpose of the International Day of Older People is to celebrate the role that older people play in strengthening communities throughout the UK, whether as workers, carers, volunteers, activists or community connectors.

Ahead of the event, Cllr Chandler said, “Earlier this year, we committed to making Monmouthshire an age-friendly community as part of the World Health Organization network of age-friendly cities and communities. 49% of Monmouthshire’s population is aged 50+. Today is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the parts our older population play, whether that’s in the local workforce, supporting voluntary activities, as activists or providing free care to their loved ones, both adults and children, our local communities would not be the same without our older population.”

Cllr Sandles added: “Achieving Age Friendly Status is about recognising what is already happening within communities across Monmouthshire, bringing it more sharply into focus with an eye on how to address gaps, often by meaningful conversations with our older residents. It is not necessarily about new investment; it’s about understanding how things can be done even better with the emphasis on the needs of older people.”

The World Health Organization defines age-friendly communities as “environments which foster healthy and active ageing. They enable older people to age safely in a place that is right for them, be free from poverty, continue to develop personally and contribute to their communities while retaining autonomy, health, and dignity. Because older people know best what they need, they are at the centre of any effort to create a more age-friendly world.” For more information on the International Day of Older People, visit https://ageing-better.org.uk/international-day-older-people-1-october-2024