The UK encore community is growing, with innovative organizations deepening their commitment and new programs taking shape. With growing numbers of older adults, health and financing challenges, and generally pessimistic views of later life (according to the latest report from the Centre for Ageing Better and Ipsos MORI), encore ideas offer a fresh perspective and new solutions.
The UK Encore Fellows program moved a step closer to launch with a February design workshop. Co-founders Andrew Scott (The Hundred Year Life) and Julia Randell-Khan (Encore Senior Fellow) led a daylong workshop at Mercer, with insights from for-profit and nonprofit partners PwC, Unilever, Barnardo’s, Now Teach, The Age of No Retirement, Age UK and Fair Trials. A new nonprofit, The Longevity Forum, will run the program; they’re targeting a summer 2019 pilot.
Welsh nonprofit Ageing Well has invited Julia and Andrew to lead an April Encore Fellows discussion including the Welsh government, the Trade Union Congress, Learning and Work Institute, Prime Cymru (Prince Charles’s nonprofit supporting people 50+ returning to work).The country faces particular challenges for older people in rural communities and people leaving traditional industries such as mining. We hope these discussions will lead to a Welsh Encore Fellows launch.
Nesta, a global innovation foundation, hosted a February How to Live Forever event, with Vicky Sellick, Director of Innovation Programs interviewing Marc Freedman. With 100 +attendees from government, business, nonprofits and academics, the event showcased wide-ranging interest in engaging older adults and intergenerational connections. Nesta-sponsored nonprofits who do intergenerational work also participated, including The Cares Family who run local community networks of young professionals and older neighbors helping one another.
Marc also led a roundtable meeting at the Center for Ageing Better, a foundation that “works toward a society where everyone lives a good later life.” He returns to London in March for an event at King’s College and a discussion of building intergenerational bridges at The Conduit, a new venue for entrepreneurs involved in social impact work.
For more information contact Julia Randell-Khan.
Published: March 11, 2019