Full of Life
People are living longer. By 2020, half the population of the UK will be aged 50 and over. The Government wants to ensure that we adapt successfully to the fundamental long term changes that this will bring to the nature of society .
The Government and other supporting groups, under the “Full of Life” banner, have made UK Older People’s Day the focus of a wide programme of activity, celebrating later life.
UK Older People’s Day
UK Older People’s Day is on 1 October. The aims of the day are:
- to celebrate the huge contribution older people make to our society and economy
- to create a positive view of later life and tackle outdated stereotypes
- raise awareness of the opportunities and entitlements for older people across society
- ensure older people don’t feel excluded or isolated from the rest of society.
The theme for events for Older People’s Day in 2009 was bringing generations together. It recognised that intergenerational working is one way to start to tackle stereotypes, create a positive view of later life and promote mutual understanding between generations, and delivers a number of key benefits:
- strengthening our local communities, which plays an important part in creating safer, friendlier neighbourhoods for young and old
- giving young people the opportunity to contribute and feel valued, inspired and supported by adult role models
- giving older people the opportunity to pass on their skills and experiences and enjoy being actively engaged in their communities.
Many of the events that took place for Older People’s Day 2009 built on this theme, for example having skill swaps where the younger generation taught the older people how to get the most from new technology and the older generation taught the younger ones skills such as knitting and baking. Overall around 100,000 people took part in hundreds of local events to mark the day across the country, ranging from theatre projects to tea dances, fitness and healthy eating classes to fun days.
The "Age, Snapped" photographic exhibition was run in conjunction with the London College of Communication, for the second time in 2009. It showcased photographs taken by secondary school children of the inspirational people in their lives, and images from key stakeholders that sought to challenge stereotypes or showed pioneering projects that encourage neighbours of different generations to interact and form new bonds.
- Older People’s Day events 2009 (30KB)
– find out more about some of the events. - Older People’s Day feedback on events 2009 (37KB) – read what some of the people who were involved had to say about the events
- Age, Snapped photography exhibition (Flickr website) – view the exhibition online
Find out more
- Pensions and retirement planning (Directgov) – opportunities and entitlements for older people
