Lord Geoffrey Filkin CBE, Chair of the Centre for Ageing Better, said:
Like many in public life I have been deeply saddened to learn this weekend of Jeremy Heywood’s untimely death. Tributes have been made by politicians across the political spectrum for his outstanding qualities as an impartial adviser and leader of the civil service who respected the role of politicians and supported them in the goals and gave wise council and leadership to them and his country. But a little known aspect of his leadership also deserves recognition and celebration – what he did to support a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges of our ageing society.
In 2013, the House of Lords Select Committee report, 'Ready for Ageing' was published and attracted widespread media and policy interest. I met with Jeremy Heywood in his role of Cabinet Secretary to discuss the report and how government might respond. I remember him giving me what felt like a hard time but this was his style to test the thinking of people.
Later I realised that Jeremy fully recognised the significance of an ageing society and its opportunities as well as its challenges. He supported the foundation of the Centre for Ageing Better as an independent body to identify and promote the changes needed for better later lives and this then led to Ageing Better's funding by the Big Lottery Fund.
Anna Dixon, the Chief Executive, and I benefited too from supportive meetings with him as we shared our aims and ambitions. He personally promoted the inclusion of ageing as one of the four key strands in the government’s industrial strategy which will have great significance.
Last, I am sure that the Prime Minister's commitment this summer to seek to increase the years of healthy life expectancy by five years owed much to his recognition of how fundamental this was for a better longer life.
We are saddened by his death, offer our condolences to his family and thanks for his support for better ageing in our society.
