Collaborating towards an age-friendly Northern Ireland
Date of event: Tuesday 7 October
This joint ARK Ageing Programme – Linking Generations event was designed to spark ideas and promote thinking about what ‘age-friendly’ might mean in Northern Ireland, especially as we begin to embrace our own ageing population, and move towards the community planning that our new local councils will take over next year. Thanks to the generosity of Belfast City Council, the event was held in the Banqueting Hall of Belfast City Hall, which provided a wonderful venue. We were also delighted that the event was opened by Cllr Nichola Mallon, Lord Mayor of Belfast City Council. The keynote speaker was Nancy Henkin, Visiting Fellow of the ARK Ageing Programme.
The morning session involved presentations from a wide range of practitioners, who shared their experience, learning and challenges of intergenerational work:
- Irish approaches: Keelin McCarthy (Age Action Ireland), Sarah Wetherald (Age Friendly Ireland) and Liz Harper (Age and Opportunity)
- A Scottish approach: Alison Clyde (Generations Working Together)
- An English approach: Susan Langford (Magic Me)
- A Welsh approach: Alan Hatton-Yeo (Communities for All Ages in Wales)
- Intergenerational work in Northern Ireland: Vicki Titterington (Linking Generations Northern Ireland)
- Evaluation of Linking Generations, Northern Ireland: Sarah McWilliams (Juniper Consulting)
- Nancy Henkin (Intergenerational Center, Temple University, Philadelphia)
The afternoon session comprised a policy round table discussion, chaired by Ann Marie Gray (ARK Policy Unit), drawing upon the morning presentations. Participants’ contributions will inform the development of a policy paper which will be available soon.