Voice of Older People

On 13 March 2025, we held our very first Voice of Older People focus group in conjunction with our partners GOPA on behalf of the Summerfield Community Chest.

The aim was for residents from Gloucester to share their thoughts and views on how to ‘age well’. These anonymised insights were collected by the facilitators to help better understand how to focus their strategic support across the county.

The panel we asked about their interests and hobbies, what they gained from participating in their hobbies, barriers to accessing activities and whether they’d be interested in sharing their skills with others.

Other discussions centred around how to reach older people who may be more isolated in the community, as well as challenging ageing stereotypes.

For their time, the participants were rewarded with a small incentive and some refreshments.