Ageing Well Without Children Launches New Website and Guide

November 2019 Update: Ageing Well Without Children has changed ownership. For further information, please click here.

Britain is an ageing society and there are now over 1 million people aged over 65 who have never been parents. This is predicted to double to 2 million by 2030.

At a time of austerity and reductions in public services, social care support for older people has been hit particularly hard and the Government’s response has largely focused on the need for families to do more. There is increasing pressure on family carers and Carers UK report that 600 people a day are leaving their jobs because of the overwhelming demands of being a carer.

People who are ageing without children are a third more likely to be carers for their own parents with all the difficulties this brings in terms of employment, stress and isolation. Caring for their own parents brings up the difficult question for people ageing without children “Who will care for me?”

Understanding what it means to be ageing without children and how it affects people in later life is crucial for organisations who plan and commission services for older people.

On 6 February Ageing Well Without Children (AWwoC) launched its new website and published a Guide for Organisations to help tackle the issues affecting the growing numbers of people who are ageing without children.

Speaking today Kirsty Woodard Founder and CEO of Ageing Well Without Children said:

“We hope this website will give everyone more information about ageing without children as well as helping individuals who are ageing without children connect with each other. To help with that we’ve created a guide for organisations who want to set up groups aimed at people ageing without children”

The Guide which can be freely downloaded from the AWwoC website, was created with help from PRAMA, a Dorset based organisation working with older people. Their Chief Executive, Steve Robinson said: "We are immensely impressed with the work that Kirsty and AWwoC have achieved. Her insight and passion are inspirational and this is demonstrated in the depth and quality of the work she has done with us to make us, and others across our county, AWwoC aware."

Welcoming the new AWwoC website, Paul Goulden, Chief Executive of Age UK London said:

"This is an important resource for organisations that support older people and need to appreciate the special circumstances and issues that ageing without children can bring.”

For more information contact: Kirsty Woodard, AWwoC CEO on 07919 335680 or email ageingwithoutchildren@gmail.com