Frances' voice
“Some people are quite alone, and this is the only platform they have to get their voice heard.”
Beyond the Older People’s Advisory Group, Frances is very involved in community organisations around Camden, including Kilburn Older Voices Exchange (KOVE) and St. Pancras Community Association. Frances is currently writing her life story.
Ageing Better in Camden is a partnership of older people and Camden organisations, working together to tackle social isolation and loneliness among older people. It is a part of Age UK Camden and is one of the fourteen National Lottery Community Fund Ageing Better programmes working across England.
The Older People’s Advisory Group – which is run by Ageing Better in Camden and open to all older people in the borough – meet monthly with decision makers to discuss all topics affecting older people, from transport to counselling.
“I was on the panel that appointed Age UK Camden to be the leader of Ageing Better in Camden; I was on the board of St. Pancras Community Association and KOVE at the time.
"I am involved because you get to know about what other areas are doing, and it’s nice to meet people of our own age who are in the same boat. Some people are quite lonely, quite alone, and this is the only platform they have to get their voice heard. And that is the idea – that everyone has a say.
"Before this group, a lot of older people had ideas that they couldn’t express. There are a lot of lonely people, there still are. We’ve all learnt a lot of new things.
"It would be a great pity if the group didn’t continue – a lot of people would be lost without it. We learn about things going on and get co-opted into other groups and meetings. Lots of other things I wouldn’t have been involved in without this group.
"If you already belong to a group and a new person enters the meeting, please, please give them a warm welcome. It takes a great deal of courage to go to a meeting for the first time alone. A cool reception means that the person may never try again. Remember – ‘You may be entertaining an angel unawares’.”
Read the full report on Camden’s Older People’s Advisory Group, and find out more about Ageing Better in Camden.
At the Centre for Ageing Better, we know that how our communities are created make a big difference in ensuring that people like Frances remain connected and supported.
