LOPSG Strategy

London Older People’s Strategies Group

Issue 5 May 2004

Welcome to Strategy New resource for Pensioners elcome to Strategy, which we hope will Wappear on a regular basis. It continues and replaces The Link.

The editor is David Jones and the editorial committee is Joe Harris, Graeme Matthews and Les Evans. David is an experienced editor, who did a first rate job on the Greater London Pensioner.

The articles must come from you, and should be readable and to the point. We hope to include photos, and would like to include cartoons. We are sure that among the many thousands of older Londoners represented on LOPSG there are those who are handy with the pen. Project officers Charlotte and Anna The Link was put together by the representative of Age Concern London, who The Mayor has provided a valuable new kindly offered their facilities. But when she resource for London’s older people. left to work at another charity we were Charlotte Smith opens the door on page 2 unable to find a replacement. For more information on the facility contact Now with a new editor and the new Resource Facility we are starting again. We Anna Roberts or Charlotte Smith expect to distribute 2000 copies of each edition, and would hope that our London Older People's Resource Facility participants will photocopy any additional c/o London Pension Fund Authority copies that may be needed. We also Dexter House decided to give the newsletter a more 2 Royal Court snappy title, which we hope will meet with London EC3N 4LP your approval. Telephone 020 7369 2690 Remember, Strategy will be your or 2689 publication, with your articles, photos and cartoons, and only you can make it a [email protected] success. [email protected]

Les Evans, LOPSG Vice-Chair STRATEGY

Capital Age Roam around the gardens to older Londoners. Festival 2004 and pathways and find market stalls, advice and The Facility will act as an Sunday 8th August information, refreshments information resource on 2.00-6.00 p.m and food. There will be GLA policy and how it Coin Street site on the quiet areas, others ringing affects older Londoners. South Bank with vibrant sound, areas Information on the variety for you to join in the dance, of support services available his is the second festival and others where you can to older individuals and Torganised by LOPSG, sit and rest. The aim is for groups working with older with support from the accessibility, comfort and people will be available. Mayor of London and the enjoyment for all. Three desks, and some Arts Council. LOPSG would like Capital administrative help, will also Age to be the main festival be available for older The festival celebrates the in a chain of events for people's groups to use on a rich cultural diversity of older people across the pre-booking basis, to older Londoners, the London boroughs support the valuable work enrichment of the arts to throughout the summer. A they carry out. our lives, and highlights the number of boroughs have contribution people over the expressed their willingness Charlotte Smith age of 55 make to the to become involved. Skills Senior Project Officer social, economic and cultural and experience are being life of our capital city. shared. DAGE on the Air

There will be a mixed Joan Matthews Action Group for the programme of exhilarating Culture Group Convenor Elderly broadcasts Calling All entertainment, music, song Pensioners on Mondays and and dance from across the A Resource Facility Thursdays at 3.00 pm, repeated world, and a drama for London's Older Sundays at 2.00 pm. workshop and exhibition. People You can marvel at the street The programme's co-producer, theatre, step out in the he Greater London Harry Haward, has become a tango, or sing along with TAuthority (GLA) recently cult radio figure with his the greatest hits. There is opened the London Older uncompromising pro-pensioner something for everyone, People's Resource Facility. stance. The Independent exciting new art forms and Two GLA officers, Anna described him as "a mass of sheer nostalgia, traditional Roberts and Charlotte Smith, sheer energy, blowing out of the family entertainment and will be running the facility, water the idea that there is the totally unexpected. which will maximise anything age can't do". As well consultation and as attracting pensioners, many engagement with older students are tuning in. Londoners through continued joint working with LOPSG For more information go to and other older people's www.resonancefm.com. or write organisations in London. to Tim Hamilton, DAGE, 71 Deptford High Street, London The Facility will make it SE8 4AA easier for LOPSG and other 020 8691 2849 groups to feed in their views to the GLA on the key Broadcasts are on 104.4 FM. Capital Age 2003 issues that are of concern

LOPSG Working towards a better London for Older People STRATEGY

Our priority is now have more than 100 groups been able to focus on the a Mayor's Older in membership. We have the fact it is not cycling that People's Strategy recognition and support of worries us, but anti-social the Mayor and his staff. behaviour. So we are now Office facilities and two asking for a consistent project officers have been policing policy to deal with provided for the support and cyclists on pavements. use of pensioners' groups. We have held two Older Throughout our People's Assemblies and a development as a Group we really excellent Capital Age have had these counter- Festival. balances. We wanted to be taken seriously, and not just But much remains to be listen to the gentle political done. We are still lacking an persuaders, who set up overall Mayor's Older coffee mornings and were Joe Harris People's Strategy. LOPSG happy as long as we didn't members and their make waves but ate up all our years ago a group of organisations need to the biscuits. So we began FLondon pensioners got increase their involvement to create a dialogue with together to discuss the in issues and discuss what Transport for London, with implications of the Greater they would like to see in the whom we now have a London Authority Act 1999. Older People's Strategy, and number of helpful contacts. Something new was to what further can and must We now understand the happen. For the first time, be done by our Mayor and financing of the Freedom London would have an the Assembly to improve Pass, are aware of the elected mayor, who working the quality of life for problems that beset Dial-a- with an elected London London’s older citizens. Ride, and are in debate on Assembly would have finding solutions. overall responsibility for the Joe Harris LOPSG Chair city's transport, police, We are far from happy emergency services, Transport Group about access to the environment, the promotion Underground system, and of health, and, not least, he Transport Strategy we have also expressed our culture, media and sport. TGroup has developed concerns about safety in since it was started four public places, especially in The pensioners decided to years ago. transport interchange areas. ensure that older people In terms of safety the Group would have a strong and Older people have some appreciates the attempts to influential voice at the new concerns which at first sight slow traffic, but we are City Hall. They brought look to be counter- deeply conscious of speed together representatives productive to their aims. bumps from the point of from six Greater London We worry about being view of Ambulance Crews. pensioners' groups to discuss knocked down by cyclists, how best this could be but we co-operated and We are strongly supportive achieved. Thus the London contributed to the Mayor's of Bus Lanes, and in Older People's Strategies Cycling Plan, because we general support much of the Group (LOPSG) was formed. believed in its environmental Mayor's Transport Strategy. benefits. It was only Since those early days much through our discussions on Peter Rayner Transport has been achieved. We now this issue that we have Group Convenor

LOPSG Working towards a better London for Older People STRATEGY

A Pensioners' debated and finalised by Diary Dates Manifesto some 2,000 delegates at the Pensioners' Parliament Thursday 13 May or the first time in British in Blackpool on May 18th, Pensioners’ Mayoral Fhistory, a comprehensive 19th and 20th. Hustings - The Camden national plan for living in Centre, King’s Cross retirement is to be placed at The proposals cover 1.30 to 3.30 the heart of British politics. Pensions and Incomes, Health and Care, Transport Thursday 10 June A Pensioners' Manifesto will and Mobility, Neighbourhood Greater London be presented to all and Community, and Active Elections candidates in the coming Citizenship. general election. Saturday 19 June Copies can be obtained TUC/NPC Pensions Pensioners all over the from the N.P.C. Demonstration - country are now discussing 19-23 Ironmonger Row Embankment 12.00 a draft issued by the London EC1V 3QP or National Pensioners' downloaded from Thurday 24 June Convention, which will be www.natpencon.org.uk LOPSG participants’ meeting - City Hall 1.15

Sunday 8 August Capital Age Festival 2004 - Coin Street Festival Site 2.00

Thursday 19 August LOPSG AGM - City Hall 1.15

Wednesday 8 Sept NPC lobby of Parliament

How to join LOPSG October (date and venue to be s the principal forum for older Londoners' consultation confirmed) Awith the Mayor, we are always looking to extend our Third London Older membership, and particularly to encourage the involvement People’s Assembly of representatives across the wide spectrum of London's communities and ethnic groups. November (date and venue to be Membership is free, and is open to individuals, and confirmed) representatives of London organisations. All members LOPSG participants’ meeting receive notice of LOPSG meetings, the quarterly newsletter Strategy, and documentation relating to Mayoral policy. Strategy is the quarterly If you, or your organisation, would like to join please newsletter of LOPSG contact Graeme Matthews (Secretary) on 01895 631905 or Views expressed in Anna Roberts (Project Officer, Older People, London Older Strategy do not necessarily People's Resource Facility) on 020 7369 2690 or reflect the views of the [email protected] Editor or of LOPSG