Age-Friendly Parish and Town Councils

Age-Friendly Parish & Town Councils

Parish and town councils play an important role in shaping communities where people can age well. In Gloucestershire around 21% of the county’s population is already aged 65 or over, and this group is expected to grow by around 52% by 2043. This clearly demonstrates why parish and town councils need to start thinking about age-friendly communities now.

Join us for a free online information session introducing the concept of age-friendly parish and town councils, based on the new national guidance produced by the Centre for Ageing Better in partnership with the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC).

The session will be presented by Bianca Rosetti, Strategic Partnership Manager at the Centre for Ageing Better, who will outline how parish and town councils can support age-friendly communities and why this agenda is becoming increasingly important for local government.

An age-friendly community is one where services, spaces and activities are accessible and inclusive for people of all ages, enabling residents to remain active, connected and involved in their communities for as long as possible. Parish and town councils are well placed to support this work through their local leadership, community engagement and ability to bring together partners such as health services, voluntary organisations, businesses and residents.

The session will introduce the Age-friendly Town and Parish Guide, which highlights practical ways councils can contribute across areas such as community participation, housing, transport, outdoor spaces, health and wellbeing, communication and inclusion. These areas reflect the World Health Organisation’s recognised framework for age-friendly communities and demonstrate how even small local actions can make a meaningful difference.

During the session you will learn:

• What an age-friendly parish or town council looks like in practice

• Why supporting older residents benefits the whole community

• Practical examples of initiatives councils can introduce locally

• How councils can begin taking small steps towards becoming more age-friendly

This session is open to all parish and town council clerks and councillors and will provide an opportunity to hear directly from the organisation leading this work nationally.