Information & advice

Purpose
The purpose of Age Concern, the federation is to promote the well-being of all older people and to help make later life a fulfilling and enjoyable experience. Age Concern, through the combined effort of its Members, promotes and delivers a better quality of life for all older people.

We work together to achieve this through the principles of consent, subsidiarity and partnership: the principles of a federation.

Statement of intent
Age Concern will continue to demonstrate the added value of working federally; through local initiative, regional diversity and national consistency. Our Members’ active involvement in federal life contributes to a significant, measurable improvement in the quality of life of all older people. We will do this through maximising opportunities, sharing resources, supporting one another and by putting older people at the heart of our work in our communities.

Values and Principles
Our Values and Principles underpin the work of all Members and, thereby, the work of the federation itself.

Values

• Enabling: we support Members in their work of enabling older people to live independently and exercise choice
• Influential: we draw strength from the voices of older people, and ensure that those voices are heard
• Dynamic: we are innovative and driven by results and constantly deliver for older people
• Caring: we are passionate about what we do and care about each individual
• Expert: we are authoritative, trusted and quality-orientated

Principles

• Ageism is unacceptable: we are against all forms of unfair discrimination, and challenge unfair treatment on grounds of age
• All people have the right to make decisions about their lives: we help older people to discover and exercise these rights
• People less able to help themselves should be offered support: we seek to support older people to live their lives with dignity
• Diversity is valued in all that we do: we recognise the diversity of older people and their different needs, choices, cultures and values
• It is only through working together that we can use our local, regional and national presence to the greatest effect.

Strategic Aims
We will:

1. involve older people in what we do and ensure that our commitment to equality, diversity and equity is given prominent and practical expression
2. build an effective federation through the active, appropriate participation of all its Members
3. encourage the provision, by Members, of quality services and activities to help older people feel secure, maintain their physical independence and promote their emotional well-being, and demonstrate the quality of what our Members do
4. maximise income for all Members of the federation and share income on an agreed basis
5. seek to influence those outside the federation whose actions impact on the lives of older people at local, regional and national levels