Like many other seniors Iam learning how to use new ways of communicating with people from my front room. As some one who has been active in the age movement for over 20 years I hope that I can offer some insights, inspiration and examples of best practice that I and colleagues have been able to find.
This is my personal blog and all comments and recommendations are mine alone, however I am also drawing on my experience and knowledge gained in my roles as Chair of London's regional age forum Positive Ageing in London ( PAIL); as co-chair of Age Platform Europe ( UK section) - Europe's largest network of age organisations bringing together representatives of millions of older People from across Europe and as Chief Executive of Wise Age - the first and leading charity supporting older working age people especially for those looking for employment. Finally I am also a trustee ( as Chair of PAIL) of EngAgeNet - the UK network of regional age fora.
I hope that I have brought to these roles my previous experience and knowledge as Head of Marketing and Communication for 3 London boroughs, my work as a marketing and business development consultant for private , public and voluntary companies and as a former post graduate Marketing lecturer for a number of Universities and colleges. I have also spent the last 30 years as a social entrepreneur helping develop, start up and expand voluntary sector organisations and mutual aid / self organised groups.
That's my introduction.
Now I would like to start sharing with you some of the best practice, links and campaigns that my colleagues and I have been involved with over time, but particularly now in the time of self isolation in the face of this modern plague.
For us at PAIL our first aim now is to help our fellow seniors get up to date information, encourage people to stay active, engaged and to have our voices heard by power. I believe that we have the knowledge of our lived experience to be able to offer decision makers a better understanding from the front line of what is working and what not, what our main concerns and worries as seniors are, offer examples of best practice to be shared and to offer recommendations as to how they can best proceed in partnership with ourselves London and the UK's active and concerned seniors