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:
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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?
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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.
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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?
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The Alliance recognises the value of partnership working between older people
and cross sector organisations in seeking solutions to improve later life.
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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?
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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.
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A Partnership Development Group – made up of 50:50 older people and
organisations – and the Secretariat support and coordinate overall activity.
Alliance Themes
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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
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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
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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.”
“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( 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”
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 (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
Nov
2012 Energy Action (NEA)
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: @AgeActAlliance
facebook.com/ageactionalliance
Why not join us?