Understanding the Alliance A presentation for Members Alliance
Understanding the Alliance: A presentation for Members Alliance Secretariat December 2013
About the Alliance • A UK wide network to promote partnership working & practical action • Launched on 30 September 2011 • Secretariat support provided by Age UK and DWP • Partnership Development Group of 50: 50 older people & organisations • Commitment to ensuring older people at heart of the Alliance • Aims to focus on socially excluded & most vulnerable • Independent partnership: 500+ cross sector organisations • Members share common commitment to improving older people’s lives • Promotes collaborative working, sharing good practice, building on what works
Our Vision “The Age Action Alliance vision is to improve the quality of later life through partnership working between members and older people; creating communities where older people feel secure, valued and able to contribute to society. ” The Alliance wants to ensure that older people in the UK are: ü ü ü Visible, valued and heard Can make informed choices about health &wellbeing Live in safe, warm homes Are able to access information and services they need Have strong networks of friends, family and community support Live in age friendly places where their needs are met
Why now? Why an Alliance? • People in the UK are living longer than ever before. Over the last century, average life expectancy has increased by 30 years and will continue to rise. • This is cause for celebration but also requires efforts to adapt society so that it takes advantage of opportunities and respond to the challenges. Why an Alliance? • The Alliance recognises the value of partnership working between older people and cross sector organisations in seeking solutions to improve later life. • Members wish to celebrate the contribution older people make to society and challenge negative attitudes which hold them and society back. How does the Alliance work? • Most of the work of the Alliance centres around the working groups under 14 Themes (see next slide) older people told us matter to improving their lives. • A Partnership Development Group – made up of 50: 50 older people and organisations – and the Secretariat support and coordinate overall activity.
Alliance Themes Ø Ø Ø Ø Age Friendly Environments Attitudes to Ageing Digital Inclusion Excluded Groups Healthy Workplaces Loneliness & Isolation Money Matters Public Health & Active Lifestyles Safe Warm Homes Social & Economic Participation of Older People Transport European Matters Research Older People’s Day
Joining the Alliance Expectations of Members • • • Support the vision and values of the Age Action Alliance Agree to share contact details with other Members Act as an ambassador & encourage others to join Receive communications from the Alliance & seek out opportunities Strive to involve older people & ideally co-design and co-deliver work Share information and good practice with the Alliance Benefits to Members • • • Free to join and be part of a growing national network Receive regular communications from the Secretariat & Working Groups Opportunities to share information & good practice with other members Take advantage of Alliance social media: AAA blog, twitter and facebook Use Alliance logos and ‘I’m a member of…’ stamps to identify membership
I joined the Alliance: “To inform older people and the agencies with whom they work on the solutions to tackling fuel poverty, reducing morbidity and mortality amongst older people as a result of living in a cold home. ” I joined the Alliance( to): “Increasing the impact and relevance and 'value added' of our contribution to improving life for older people in the UK - now and for future generations. ” I joined the Alliance (to): “Shift thinking locally & nationally, stimulate innovation, challenge assumptions” “Since its launch in October 2011, the Age Action Alliance has made great progress in bringing together stakeholders to work together to develop practical solutions on the ageing agenda. For Alliance Boots, it has been an opportunity to work with a range of partners to support older people in the UK. Importantly it has also presented an opportunity to give focus to our own work on ageing. Across the business, we are looking more closely at how we support older patients and customers in a more coordinated way to ensure that we are addressing and reflecting their needs effectively. ” Boots I joined the Alliance (for): “better prepared older population. A unified approach to better health and wellbeing. A proactive and action oriented approach to solving issues faced by current and future generations of older people. ” Members’ Testimony Fantastic! In our outcomes focussed world this is an excellent example of the Alliance facilitating things that may never have happened to help vulnerable older people National Energy Action (NEA) Nov 2012 I joined the Alliance: “To make a real impact on the use of the experience of retirees to help younger generations” I joined the Alliance (and): “Already have benefited from the excellent briefing note that comes out each week and circulate this to others across the county. From attendance at the isolation and loneliness working group. Becoming a member of the Alliance have shown to partners our commitment to older people and is assisting specifically with the work of my team and department. ”
Contact Us Visit our website: www. ageactionalliance. org Email us: info@ageactionalliance. org Follow us: @Age. Act. Alliance facebook. com/ageactionalliance Why not join us?
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