Every year on 1 October, individuals, groups and organisations across the world come together to celebrate the significant contribution that older people make to our lives in so many ways.
In Wales, this contribution is worth over £2 billion in financial terms, and includes volunteering and childcare worth hundreds of millions of pounds every year.
But the contribution made to our lives and our communities by older people is worth so much more than pounds and pence alone.
Many older people across Wales play a crucial role within our communities, organising and supporting a huge variety of groups and social activities, as well as providing a wide range of support to families, friends and neighbours and sharing their knowledge, skills and experience.
You’ll often find older people at the heart of the spirit and resilience that defines communities throughout Wales, and our lives would be all the poorer without the vital contributions they make. Getting involved in these kinds of activities also benefits us as individuals, too, offering opportunities to participate and socialise that support us to age well.
However, the opportunities for older people to make these important contributions can be limited due to a number of barriers, including health, income and accessibility. Furthermore, older people may be concerned about not being made to feel welcome or being rejected due to ageist attitudes or age discrimination.
That’s why it’s important to work with older people to better understand the barriers and difficulties people face and identify how these issues can be tackled. This will help to ensure that older people across Wales have the opportunities and support they need to continue to contribute so much to our lives in so many ways, which brings such a wide range of benefits to us all.
