Age-friendly call to action

The Age-friendly Barnet call to action was launched on 6 March 2024 at the Arts Depot in North Finchley in the presence of the mayor, councillors and other key players in the drive to make Barnet more age-friendly - and over the next two years Age UK Barnet will initiate eight new projects.

Age Friendly Barnet has been shaped by the views of over 1,000 Barnet residents who completed our Age-friendly survey and helped us gain a better understanding of the current barriers to ageing well within our community.

Age Friendly Barnet focuses on seven key areas in our everyday lives that can impact the way that we age - from ageism and intergenerational inclusion to transport, housing and employment and volunteering opportunities.

New projects will address some key issues identified by our Age-friendly survey including:

· Only 60% of all over 55s agreed with that there are enough accessible and enjoyable activities in the borough.

· 61% of men over the age of 55 in the borough agree that there are enough public toilets in Barnet compared to only 29% of women.

· Of residents over the age of 55 who are not in paid employment, only 34% agreed that they felt confident that they could get a job if they wanted.

· 62% of adults aged 55+ agreed that they feel confident with using digital technology. However, only 35% of the 85+ age-group agreed with this statement.

Ensuring that this project is led by the voices of older adults is a priority for this project, Age UK Barnet CEO Helen Newman says: ‘This is community-focused and community-organised; the call for action is a living document in which the voices of residents can regularly feed into throughout the project.’

Over the next two years, the Age-friendly Barnet Partnership – made up of key stakeholders including local organisations, council members and residents, and led by Age UK Barnet – will be responsible for the delivery of eight projects to address the issues identified in the baseline assessment.

Projects include setting up advice and information pop ups around the borough so that older adults who are less aware of community events, information and services will have a chance to find out useful information and advice as well as attend workshops.

Age-friendly coordinator Pippa Mannerings says: ‘The projects which this plan outlines were thought up in our Age-friendly Barnet focus groups last summer. We hope that our attention to the voices of older residents can make this a powerful movement across the borough and beyond’.