Community projects in London are hosting events to mark a national anti-ageism Action Day organised by the Centre for Ageing Better this Wednesday 20 March 2024.
Local community groups are bringing people together as part of the Age Without Limits campaign’s See and be Seen Action Day which is aiming to counter the negative stereotypes of older age that are prominent throughout society.
Events hosted by community projects in London include:
- Artful Codgers (North London, Bounds Green) this group of retired Londoners are curating an exhibition of self-portraits to foster dialogue, self-reflection, and a more positive narrative around ageing. Members have been encouraged to employ diverse artistic forms, from poetry to mixed media, and from sculpture to sewing.
Event details: Saturday 23 March, from 11am until 4pm at Shaftesbury Hall 21 Herbert Rd, London N11 2QN
- Nunheads Voice (South East London, Nunhead) is hosting a catwalk and art exhibition to stimulate conversation around the ‘See and Be Seen’ theme. An exhibition of photographs, captions, and objects will explore how people aspire to be seen as they age. The event will close with a catwalk with the volunteer models showing their take on the theme.
Event details: Thursday 21 March, The Green Community Centre, 5 Nunhead Green Nunhead Green, SE15 3QQ
- Blackfriars Settlement (South East London, Southwark) is hosting a ‘Positively Ageing and Positively Talented’ variety performance and art exhibition. The event will showcase the work of older residents and those who are visually impaired. Through singing, spoken word, drama and singing, the event will encourage older people to live life as full as they can.
Event details: Blackfriars Settlement, 1 Rushworth St, London SE1 0RB. From 20 March, the art exhibition will be in the atrium for a month during and following the week of action
- Tonic Housing Association and Brixton Umbrella Centre (South East London, Lambeth) is hosting an LGBT+ fashion show. Older LGBT+ people are often invisible within society and even within the LGBT+ communities, where they experience ageism. The show will be an opportunity for older LGBT+ people to celebrate and show themselves.
New research from the Centre for Ageing Better reveals 49% of people aged 50 and above in London believe that the voices of older people are not sufficiently represented and heard regarding changes and developments where they live. The Age Without Limits campaign is hoping to put a spotlight on ageism such as this, which it calls the ‘hidden’ prejudice.
The new survey also reveals the broader views of people aged 50 and above in London:
- 34% said there are not enough activities and groups in their area that allow you to feel connected to your local community and meet with other people. The community events are designed to support people to feel a connected with others.
- 30% said they felt less valued in their community as they age
- 26% feel like they are treated negatively within their community because of their age
- 9% said their local community wasn’t a good place to grow older in
People living in London had the lowest level of satisfaction about growing older in their community of all the regions in the UK. The Age Without Limits campaign is highlighting the need for a more diverse and balanced representation of older people, with the majority of media and advertising depictions of older age either unrealistically positive or extremely negative portrayals of frailty and decline. It is hoped the series of Action Day events across the country will empower people to feel involved, connected and heard in their local communities as well as united in the fight against ageism.
