Ageist and Unfair Ashford

The Kent news on Age UK and tackling Ageism produces some horrific buzz words in it's entirity but tackles a subject we should all be aware of.

In 2012 there will be more people over the retirement age than under it. As a result, we have a responsibility to older people not to discriminate, not to dismiss them and not to leave them in poverty as the "working world" continues.

I am something of a champion of the rights of Older people, in both Ashford and the County. This is because I see so often in my ward and within the borough, appauling treatment of older people by all ranges of people, from their own familes through to neighbours through to local councils.

One of the worst things I come accross is indirect ageism. This is not in relation to employment, per se, as tackled by the Employment Equality Act (Age) 2006 to tackle discrimination in the workplace. Instead I see appauling cases of people without a voice, whose opinions do not matter, who are regarded as irritating and a waste of resources.

It is because of this I am challenging decisions made for older people, yet do not consult them or actively ignore their needs, rights and opinions.

This began with my campaign for Liberal Democrats to back Sheltered Housing UK's campaign for resident wardens in Sheltered Accomodation. Through this I have met lots of older people whose emails and telephone calls to local services are ignored or blocked, and they are labelled nuisances.

I am now supporting communities of older people in Council accomodation who have been subjected to antisocial behaviour from other tenants. When looking into these situations, I have found services that dismiss complaints from the elderly as trouble makers and where they are left to deal with often appauling situations as the councils implement policy and tick boxes in order to meet national guidelines.

As a result of my work in Ashford, I am investigating establishing a Community Forum for Older People. One that provides the residents with an authority to their voices, one that cannot be ignored and one that is not funded and therefore predjudiced by the council, councillors or politics.


If you are interested and wish to be involved with this or help me with my campaigning, please feel free to get in touch
The Liberal Policy on Older People is under review and I have submitted a policy motion to the federal conference relating to the rights of Older People in Sheltered Accomodation. This includes a review of the Supporting People policy introduced by Labour which has significantly reduced services to Sheltered Accomodation residents.

I am also an administrator for the discussion forum for Fair Deal for Older People on Lib Dem Act, the discussion forum for Liberal Democrats.