Lord Filkin was instrumental in the establishment of the Centre for Ageing Better, having chaired and proposed the influential 'Ready for Ageing?' report by the House of Lords Select Committee in 2013, which concluded that the government, society and individuals were 'woefully underprepared' for the opportunities and challenge of living longer and a larger older population.
In 2015 the Big Lottery Fund announced it was awarding an endowment of £50 million to the Centre for Ageing Better to work as an independent Trust over ten years to help create a society where everyone enjoys a good later life.
Ageing Better last month unveiled its new strategy 'Transforming later lives' setting out ambitious goals in four priority areas to help society make the most of the social and economic opportunities presented by people living for longer and to help those most at risk of missing out on a good later life. The decision to focus on goals to improve health, housing, employment and communities follows two years of research and evidence building, exploring which factors make a positive difference to people’s quality of life in older age.
Anna Dixon, Chief Executive of the Centre for Ageing Better, said:
“Geoff is an incredibly energetic and effective advocate for the opportunities of our longer lives. His commitment to the cause of helping everyone to enjoy later life is an inspiration to those who work with him, and many others.
“We are deeply grateful to him for setting up Ageing Better and, with our new strategy, setting us on an ambitious new path to create long-lasting change. The strong position the organisation occupies, and the achievements it has had to date, are testament to Geoff’s commitment and passion for the issues we work on and his ambitions for the organisation.”
Lord Geoffrey Filkin CBE, said:
“I will leave the Centre with sadness but we are clear what we are seeking to change, have high but possible ambitions and understand the cultural changes internally and externally that will be needed to bring these about. The Centre is in a great place; it has had remarkable access and influence with the top of government and great emergent partnerships with key localities, charities and business. I am very grateful to the Board, the staff and people externally who have worked with me and the Centre over the last five years. It is all to play for and I wish my successor great enjoyment and success in realising these goals.”
