Great Yarmouth charity changes name from Age Concern to Age Connected

Some of the people attending the annual meeting of Age Connected at the Acorn Centre on September 29 (Image: Archant)

Age Concern, which has been based at the Acorn Centre in Regent Street for a year, will now be known as Age Connected.

At the annual meeting, service manager Jackie Tearney said the charity’s aim was to work for the well-being of older people throughout the borough and to make life a more fulfilling and enjoyable experience.

But it was the word “older” that was the problem, and Age Concern was thought of as an older people’s service.

“Since opening the Acorn Centre we have found the brand Age Concern has been a barrier to some people, they want to come to the centre for what we offer but do not want to be thought of as old,” said Mrs Tierney.

“But what is old age, what does it look like nowadays? What we think of as old has changed over time and it will need to continue changing as people live longer, healthier lives.”

She revealed research says old age does not begin until 74 yet she was aware of people in their 80s who said they were not ready to join an old peoples’ group.

Her message to those who attended the meeting last week was: “Let’s forget the numbers. We are not an older persons organisation we are simply connected by age, and that is for anyone aged from 50.”

The Acorn Centre is funded by the lottery until September 2020 which will enable it to deliver and expand services and offer new ones. But it needs to operate independently as a business to facilitate the building when the funding comes to an end.

Among Age Connected’s future plans are the start up of a further five lunch groups around the borough to help reduce loneliness and isolation, to recruit 25 new volunteers a year, and over the life of the project to reach 7,500 new older people to help them enjoy “positive ageing”.

For more details about the Acorn Centre, call Age Connected on 01493 262052 or email info@acgy.org.uk