Community Matters: Making our Communities Ready for Ageing - a call to action

Community Matters, published by the International Longevity Centre - UK (ILC-UK), with the support of Age UK, takes a futures perspective on understanding the evidence about how communities need to adapt to an ageing society.

The report argues that policy makers must work to ensure that communities do more than cater for our basic needs. It argues that communities should be places of fun for all. The report highlights the importance of supporting walking and cycling in old age as well as the need to ensure housing is adaptable to an ageing society.

The report sets out a 10 point action plan for local authorities, which includes:

• Places to meet not places to hire - Offer free space to allow people to come together to talk and enjoy life.
• Ensure people aren't caught on a bladder leash - Maintain and keep open or incentivise businesses to open up their toilet facilities as a public resource.
• Build neighbourliness - Find ways of breaking down "safeguarding" barriers that currently prevent generations working together.

The Community matters report was produced following three expert workshops and a conference attended by 100 people. Around 150 expert researchers, policy experts and older people contributed views during a 6 month process.