My vision of a Decade of Healthy Ageing: Glowing at 70

Margit has lived in South London for over 40 years and provides health support to Positive Ageing in London (PAiL).

Asmina has been living in North London for over 40 years and does voluntary work, which can involve Health/Social Care/Environment/ Equality/Faith Work and is also a Befriender.

London is a diverse city with different communities that have multiple and sometimes conflicting views and needs; this is confounded by the fact it is divided into 33 different Boroughs which each have their own independent strategies; these plans are configured according to the needs of their residents. This means that the Boroughs that have already agreed to making their areas Age-friendly are at different stages of getting the domains embedded into their plans.  

However, the Greater London Authority (GLA) has strategy oversight and the present Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has an ambition to make a ‘city for all Londoners' and is supporting the eight domains to make London an Age-friendly City. 

London signed up to the Age-friendly Communities initiative in June 2018. Since then the GLA has hosted meetings with stakeholders and held a series of workshops with older Londoners last winter which was to form the basis of an action plan. Further progress was then halted by the pandemic. The GLA has subsequently focused on social and economic recovery from COVID-19. To this end, nine projects were identified including ‘High Streets for All’, ‘Mental Wellbeing’ and ‘A Robust Safety Net’. Older people have not been specifically mentioned but the recovery plan presents a unique opportunity to build back better: It can contribute to making London Age-friendly if it is implemented with older people in mind – as contributors and as well as beneficiaries.

Elections for London Mayor and Assembly will take place in May 2021. Working in small groups around the eight Age-friendly Communities domain topics, older Londoners identified the top five priorities within each for action by the GLA over the next four years. These were presented to – and endorsed by – a wider audience at a virtual meeting on 9 March hosted by the London Age-friendly Forum.

Age UK London will publish their priorities on their website on 31 March.

Toilet Manifesto for London 

From many conversations with older Londoners, it has become apparent that it is not always easy for older Londoners to find a toilet that is accessible and of an acceptable standard. Positive Ageing in London (PAiL) and Kilburn Older Voices Exchange (KOVE) believe that adequate toilet provision is an essential feature of an Age-friendly city. This is why they have developed the five-point Toilet Manifesto for London.

As London is such a diverse city, these will be different for each area and population; however, some of them will be universal and for us.

• It will be a caring society – neighbours will get to know each other and we will be able to embrace different cultures and ethnicities and take part in different festivals 
• We will be inclusive in all the services 
• We will get information as and when needed which will be available in one place 
• We will be able to use clean and appropriate washroom facilities as and when required 
• We will have adequate facilities to rest during exercise/shopping  
• We will be able to eat fresh fruit and veg which are diverse  
• We will be able to practice our faith without any hate  
• We will be able to have gainful employment  
• We will be able to go out and be safe 
• We will have enough green spaces to support our health and wellbeing 

Read the other blog in this series, My vision of a Decade of Healthy Ageing: Jim, York.