Norfolk Older People's Strategic Partnership
Churches Together in Norfolk and Waveney (NWCT) are asking local churches and Churches Together Groups across the county to engage with the Norfolk Older People’s Strategic Partnership to give people more say in those things that affect older people’s quality of life.
The Norfolk Older People’s Strategic Partnership was set up early in the 21st century to support older people to live independently and well by giving them a voice.
The partnership is made up of representatives of the statutory and the VCSEF (voluntary, community, social enterprise and faith) sectors and older people themselves.
Mary Ledgard, Chair of the Norfolk Older People’s Strategic Partnership, says: "Our remit is wide, covering anything that affects older people in their daily lives, so aspects of health and social care, but also information and advice, things digital, loneliness and isolation, transport and housing. Our priorities are pulled together in a strategy called Living Longer Living Well which we are in the process of updating.
“The partnership meets quarterly. We have speakers who cover aspects of priority areas followed by discussions and networking. We also have a monthly newsletter called Your Voice in Norfolk which includes news on health, social care and other services; advice; consultations; events; and activities aimed at older people.
“At present the voice of older people comes mainly through those who attend the partnership meetings and their contacts. We used to have an older people’s forum in each district of Norfolk, but these have fallen away partly because they lost district council support in kind, but also because the people who were running them were ageing and younger volunteers were not coming forward. Covid also interrupted and set back our activities greatly.
“The partnership now wants to reach out to older people across the county to talk to them about their experiences of using services, their needs and the support they need to live their daily lives independently and well. We intend to feed the information we gather into the health and care system, local government and other service providers.
Dr Ian Watson, County Ecumenical Officer of NWCT says: "Along with many groups and organisations, the Partnership is still recovering from the pandemic. I know they feel that fully re-establishing the forums would be a step too far at this stage. Nevertheless, as the partnership has a track record of success and built-up considerable expertise in advocating for older people, along with establishing a significant number or useful contacts and relationships, they feel the time is now right to step up their efforts.
“Churches Together in Norfolk and Waveney can play a really meaningful role here. Local churches and Churches Together Groups/ LEPs are ideally placed to engage with the partnership to help highlight issues of concern for the older people in our communities.
“I know the partnership are looking to work with a couple of market towns and their surrounding areas in each district council area across the county. Ideally, these should include a mix of urban and rural areas with a high proportion of older people in their population. In modern day Norfolk most will, I am sorry to say, have areas with social, economic and health inequalities. I encourage our local churches and groups to reach out to the partnership to discuss how they could work with them in supporting local faith efforts in championing the needs of our older parishioners.”
Mary adds that: “We are aware that the statutory, voluntary, community and faith sectors are already doing a lot of work across districts and rather than creating yet another organisation we would like to work in partnership with them.
“Our initial work has shown us that effort in the sort of areas we are looking at tends to be led by town and parish councils, churches or the people who run the community centre or village hall. We would therefore appreciate the help of Churches Together in Norfolk and Waveney in identifying suitable towns and helping us to start building partnerships.”
To explore how your local church or Churches Together Group/ LEP can work with the Norfolk Older People’s Strategic Partnership please email: Mary Ledgard or nopspb@aol.co.uk.
Their website is: Norfolk Older People’s Strategic Partnership (NOPSP)
Photo: Courtesy of FutureLearn