A whole lot of networking going on

One of the few benefits of the response to the pandemic has been the number of senior networks being set up and the amount of virtual meetings both discussing and agreeing actions that we can help each other with.

One has been the very useful regular meetings between PAIL, Age UK London and the Greater London forum for older people, where we have been able to inform each other of what we are doing, try to support each other's initiatives and campaigns and promoting one another's newsletters. PAil has been able on a very limited budget to produce a newsletter around every 43 weeks, better than any other London wide older person's organisation. This has led to use increasing our mailing lists and membership by over 75% and has been pretty well received. Do go onto our www.pailondon.org.uk website to view our past newsletters which still have useful information. stories and links..

A further joint networking initiative has been that Sam Mauger and I, who have worked as 'age experts' in the GLA's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board to try to represent the interests and views of London's seniors who called a meeting to set up a London Age Friendly Forum with most of the main age member organisations in London to kick start the process of making London an Age Friendly City -, to which the Mayor has committed himself . While the GLA has drafted some initial proposals and priorities towards making this happen, Covid 19 meant that this has been on the back burner really since March. As PAil - London's age forum - held a well attended follow up meeting in March, courtesy of London Metropolitan University- which had speakers fromAge UK London, GLF, U3A, NPC and trade unions- , the feedback we got was comprehensive and representative of a wide body of older Londoners opinions and we will be submitting this for further discussion with the GLA