Older people ‘have more to offer’

LANCASHIRE County Council’s champion for older people is calling on organisations to recognise the important contribution that they make to society.

The move follows a report by the Government Office for Science, called Future of an Aging Population, which looks in detail at the contribution older people make to various aspects of life today.

Speaking after the latest meeting of the Local Authority Elected Member Older People’s Champion’s Network for the North West, County Councillor Terry Aldridge said: “The make-up of the population is changing.

“People are living longer and there are now more people aged 60 and over, compared to the rest of the population.

“The contribution older people make in our society today is often overlooked.

“However, they bring in important skills and expertise to many areas.

“Research shows that they contribute around £9bn to Britain’s economy each year by providing childcare, allowing parents of young children to work.

“Many more older people are also still in employment using their skills and abilities to support businesses, or work as volunteers supporting people in need of help.”

The network is a crossparty group made up of councillors who are champions for older people from each of the county, district and unitary councils across the region.

Cllr Aldridge added: “There are some areas we want to look at in more detail.

“We want to continue speaking to local MPs to encourage the government to introduce a Minister for Older People, so they have a voice for these issues at the very highest level.

“Other issues we’re looking at include encouraging local employers to offer apprenticeships for people aged 50 and over and to recognise the wide range of skills and knowledge that older people from all walks of life could bring to their organisations.”