How we work in Wales

We work with older people, older people's forums, local influencers, decision-makers and service providers, to make sure that the specific needs of Wales' older population are recognised and addressed.

Our priorities for influencing the Welsh Assembly Government centre on the following principles:

• Listening to and involving older people so that their needs and opinions are at the centre of all decisions on policies and strategies that affect them; 
• Combating poverty by tackling council tax and ensuring older people in Wales receive the income to which they are entitled;
• Challenge home care charges so that charging for home care services is abolished;
• Promoting independence and equality so that health services are made available according to people’s needs, not their age;
• Working with the Commissioner for Older People in Wales to make sure that the interests, dignity and rights of older people in Wales are protected;
• The Welsh Assembly Government’s 10-year Strategy for Older People in  Wales is also a key feature of the work we do (see below).

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Our team in Wales

Help the Aged in Wales has one office in Wales at 12 Cathedral Road in Cardiff and we have home-based colleagues working across the country. 

Our team is divided into three departments:

• Community Development & Participation supports community development projects across Wales and runs our campaigner-empowering Speaking Up for Our Age Programme.
• Corporate & Central Operations Support is responsible for the day-to-day managing of the central operations of the team and running our ground-breaking Growing Older in Wales initiative.
• Public Affairs & Communications is in charge of public affairs, lobbying, campaigning, production of Help the Aged in Wales publications, and public and media relations.

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The older population in Wales: facts and statistics

The Welsh Assembly Government and the Office for National Statistics have released a new report entitled 'A Statistical Focus on Older People in Wales 2008'. The report tells us some interesting facts. In Wales:

• Nearly one in four people are aged over 60;
• One in nine men and one in seven women are over the age of 70;
• One in three people over the age of 65 lives on their own: for people over 85 it is nearly 1 in 2;
• There are more people over the age of 60 in Wales than in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

For more information, go to the Office for National Statistics website.

Growing Older in Wales

Growing Older in Wales is the first age awareness and age equality training programme of its kind in the UK.

It aims to challenge attitudes towards ageing and to create a fair and equal society for all older people.

Find out more about Growing Older in Wales