RETIRING INTO ACTIONRETIRING INTO ACTION

University of EdinburghUniversity of Edinburgh28-29 June 201228-29 June 2012

Brid CullenBrid Cullen

A two-day round-table event to :-

• Identify positive approaches to promote active citizenship by older people

• Share evidence of positive outcomes for older people and communities

• Establish a shared language

• Identify gaps and areas where capacity needs to be addressed

• Develop an action plan to address these issues.

Context –

• 2011 European Year of Volunteering

• 2012 European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations

• 2013 European Year of Active Citizenship

Programme • Day 1 – share the evidence, setting the

context and themes

• Day 2 – agree a strategy for outcomes and future action

• Produce a Report with Recommendations

Participants from Europe and UK in a programme of individual contributions and small group activities

• Practitioners and policy-makers

• Older people and researchers

• Zivot90, Dane Age, Age UK, Age Platform Europe, vol orgs, NHS, Local Authorities

Outline programme Scottish Parliament visit,

Voice, choice and control Prof Charlotte Clarke,

Economic and Societal Dimensions of Active Ageing, Prof Michael Smyth, Univ of Ulster and President of Economic and Monetary Union Section of the European Economic and Social Committee

Reflections from 2 volunteers,

Why encourage Participation and Citizenship?

Tom Wakeford, Univ of Edinburgh

Scottish Context, Dr Margaret Whoriskey, Scottish Govt

From passive recipients to active participants, Nick Andrews, Swansea Council, Wales

Conclusions and next steps

Key findings

• Do we know how we want to age - as individuals, and as a society?

• We need to employ good methodologies to really hear older people’s voices

• Learn from others, and share the learning!

• Political structures and organisational models need to join up the dots of policy and strategy

Themes for future work

• Develop a smart economic model that factors in older people’s contribution to the economy

• Use this to inform decisions, and challenge stereotyped images

• Contrasting perspectives are problematic – economic/research/participatory/government. How do we make sense of this factor?

• Use Horizon 2020 EU research funding, using FUTURAGE road map

Questions

• How does this relate to your setting?

• What does this experience teach us?

• How would you anticipate the next steps?