View the slides
What needs to be in place to enable everyone to maintain, rebuild or grow our social connections as we age?
Surveys consistently show that people over 50 have a stronger sense of belonging to their communities than younger people. But this generalisation obscures growing inequality as we age. As our ageing communities become more diverse, who is at risk of missing out on the social connections that are important for health and wellbeing, and what can we do about it?
This webinar looked at the evidence from two longitudinal studies in the pandemic to see what lessons we can learn from a time when social connections were vital for all of us, yet challenging for some more than others. Following a presentation about individual connectedness based on research by NatCen, Manchester Urban Ageing Research Group focused on the experience of voluntary and community organisations in supporting older people from marginalised groups. Leeds Older People’s Forum described how collaboration between different sectors in the city during the crisis is leading to new ways of working that keep people connected as they age.
