Older People’s Conference brings communities together
North Ayrshire Council’s annual Older People’s Conference was a resounding success as residents gathered at Saltcoats Town Hall.
The event is jointly planned and hosted by the Council’s Community Learning and Development team in partnership with older people across the six localities to encourage as many people as possible to have a voice.
The conference is a key part of the Council’s Participation Strategy and this year’s themes were:
- ensuring older people’s voices are heard, actioned and respected
- helping shape the work of the council
- the impact of climate change and
- ensuring no one is left behind.
Provost Anthea Dickson spoke at the conference on Friday 14 February and said: “It was wonderful to be involved in such a worthwhile and interesting event.
“As Provost of North Ayrshire, I have the very good fortune of being able to see, first hand, some of the fantastic work being done by our vibrant community groups across North Ayrshire.
“These are groups that work to combat social isolation by offering a wide range of activities and social events and who work to bring older people together, strengthen community connections and create new friendships.
“I am a strong believer that volunteers are at the heart of all this great work. They give up their free time and work tirelessly to better their community and the lives of others. They are the backbone of our society and make our communities a better place to be. Thank you to everyone who attended the Older People's Conference and contributed by getting involved in the discussions on the day, and for their hard work all year round."
Locality group discussions were held on a range of matters, attendees had lunch, there were conversations around what has worked well over the past year and there was a talk on climate change.
The Council’s Older People's Voice Participation Strategy – made up the Older People’s Voice Network, Executive Older People’s Council and the Conference – is in place to help support older people.
It provides ways for elderly communities to raise issues and ensure they feel heard when it comes to the planning and delivery of Council policies and services.
Organisations that were represented at Saltcoats Town include Irvine Seniors’ Forum, Three Towns Discovery Group, Age Well in West Kilbride, Kilbirnie and Glengarnock Age Concern, Kilwinning u3a and Watt Gardens Residents Group in Dalry.
Quote: I have met many of the residents who were at the conference at various events over the years and I am very proud of the work they do in our communities, and the contribution they make to life in North Ayrshire. It is vital that older people feel comfortable in raising their voices at locality level. The voluntary work they do, the knowledge they share and the energy they have really make a difference. So when it comes to policy making, we are determined to ensure their views count.
Quote from: Council Leader Marie Burns, North Ayrshire's Older People's Champion
To find out more about what activities and events are happening in your community, please email your Locality team on the email addresses below.
- Kilwinning and North Coast - kilwnclocality@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
- Three Towns - 3townslocality@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
- Garnock Valley - garnockvalleylocality@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
- Irvine - irvinelocailtyteam@northayrshire.gov.uk
- Arran - Go to the Arran CVS website at www.arrancvs.org.uk or email info@arrancvs.org.uk
Published: 24 February 2025