Mature Conversations is an initiative established by EngAgeNet – a national organisation set up to enable the direct voices of older people across England to be heard by those who create and deliver the policies, strategies and services that affect their lives.

Based on the long-established English Regional Forums on Ageing, the network already embraces local groups and individuals with an estimated reach of over 300,000 older people.

Our long-term aim is to facilitate as many conversations as possible, using small groups of older people nationwide in face-to-face discussions, to explore a wider range of topics and in greater depth.

Armed with this input, experience and expertise, we hope to inform the decision-making processes of national and local Government in the years ahead, as well as guide the private sector towards what really matters to older people – and what works best for them.

Our first project, funded by Big Lottery’s Awards For All, will encompass eight events taking place across our seven constituent Regions between October and December 2018. Each will involve groups of 10 to 15 older people who have been invited to participate through our Regional networks.

Longer term, we have plans to build an infrastructure capable of coordinating regular mature conversation events. In particular, we need to develop the capability to respond quickly to topical issues or Government policy statements where older people may be affected.

Mature Conversations is an initiative established by EngAgeNet

Following our successful bid for Awards for All funding we are in the process of engaging older people across the country in a series of “mature conversations” focusing on four critical issues:
social care;
housing;
employment and retirement;
and technology.

Eight events take place across our seven constituent Regions between October and December. Each will involve groups of 10 to 15 older people who have been invited to participate through our Regional networks.

The outcome will be a clear and concise statement of the views and experience of people in later life on these four issues. EngAgeNet will then share this information with all those with an interest.

Watch this space to see where the events are being held.

To register your interest in our events, go to our contact page.

We are currently in the process of applying for funding for the next stage of our plans.

For this we need to build an infrastructure capable of coordinating regular mature conversation events. In particular, we need to develop the capability to respond quickly to topical issues or Government policy statements where older people may be affected.

This would enable significant numbers of older people to examine key issues in a consistent, structured way, drawing together common threads of real-life experience as a collective strategic response to decisions and proposals over which - generally speaking - they currently have little say.

The outcome of these conversations will be summarised and fed into all appropriate communication channels. This approach is unique in providing a consistent, collective representation of the views of older people: a rigorous, replicable model which can be used to address any policy issue.

Creating a national platform for their voices to be heard will lead to better policies and decision making, and hence to improved outcomes in terms of quality of life, health and well-being; in other words, a stronger community of older people.

About EngAgeNet

EngAgeNet is a new national organisation that will enable the direct voices of older people across England to be heard by those who create and deliver the policies, strategies and services that affect their lives.

Based on the long-established English Regional Forums on Ageing, the network already embraces local groups and individuals with an estimated reach of over 300,000 older people.

Our ambition is to expand this substantially by welcoming other groups, forums and individuals who share our aims and provide a unique resource for the public, private, third and academic sectors to tap into the opinions, knowledge and experience of older people.

EngAgeNet provides an opportunity for genuine engagement through a body with no political affiliations, commercial interests or agenda other than seeking to improve the quality of life of older people.

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Our long-term relationships with local groups, forums and affiliates allow us to function differently from any other representative body to reach those whose voices are often ignored.

We can directly access the views and input of people across the complete spectrum of society with direct experience of ageing… of all political persuasions and from diverse ethnic, religious and socio-economic groups. This includes “hard to reach” individuals and those not online.

The English Forums on Ageing have a long track record of collaborating with local, regional and national bodies to inform decision making. Our new network builds on this to provide informed individuals across the country willing to take part in surveys, focus groups and facilitated meetings.

Contact

To find out more about EngAgeNet or our Mature Conversations programme, contact: marjorybroughton@googlemail.com
For any press enquiries, contact: tony@hartleywatts.co.uk