Age Sector at risk without long-term funding, new report warns
Commissioner for Older People says vital age sector organisations need Government backing to survive
A new report launched today by the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland, highlights the need for a more coordinated and better-resourced approach to supporting older people living here.
The report, Advancing Age Friendly in Northern Ireland: Supporting Collaboration, Impact and Sustainability of Age Sector Organisations calls for government action to strengthen the network of local age sector organisations to ensure that older people can age well in their communities. It shows that while there is strong age-friendly infrastructure already in place, it remains under-supported and under-funded.
The Commissioner Siobhan Casey said: “There are age sector networks in every council area across Northern Ireland, all of which support thousands of older people every day by providing opportunities for social connection and emotional support. This in turn, sustains the health and wellbeing of these individuals. The Age Sector Networks are doing incredible work with limited resources, but their future is not guaranteed. If we are serious about building an age-friendly Northern Ireland, we need to properly invest in the people and organisations that are already delivering results.”
The report recommends that the Department for Communities fully update and resource the Active Ageing Strategy and align it with the World Health Organization’s age-friendly framework to ensure better coordination and impact.
The report also makes a strong case for increased funding to age sector networks (ASNs), which provide a variety of support through connecting older people to local services, increasing connections in the community and generally improving the health and wellbeing of the older people they assist. These organisations are shown to be cost-effective, collaborative, and essential to meeting the growing needs of an ageing population.
The Commissioner added: “We don’t need to reinvent the wheel, we need to strengthen what we already have. The age sector is full of committed people who know what works. But without long-term funding from government and local councils, we risk losing this vital infrastructure just as the need for it is accelerating.”
“Northern Ireland’s population is ageing faster than anywhere else in the UK,” said the Commissioner. “That means we can’t afford to delay. We need to invest in what is already working and we need a better Active Ageing Strategy and a shared ambition to make ageing well a right, not a privilege.”
The report includes detailed case studies from across Northern Ireland, showcasing how ASN-led projects are reducing isolation, improving wellbeing, and easing pressure on health services all while delivering value for money.
You can read the full report here: Advancing Age Friendly in Northern Ireland: Supporting Collaboration, Impact and Sustainability of Age Sector Organisations
Picture caption: Robert McQuiston (ANSF), Paschal McKeown (Age NI), Linda Robinson (Age NI), Siobhan Casey (COPNI), Allison Forbes (SWAP) and Ángel Leira Pernas (COPNI)
