The vision
This independent community-led commission was set-up to improve quality of life for older people in Hammersmith & Fulham and make it the best borough in which to grow older.
It was made up of residents, volunteers, charities and healthcare experts.
Hammersmith & Fulham is home to over 19,200 residents aged 65 and over, about 10 per cent of the borough's population. Sixty-five and over, and 85 plus, are the age groups which will grow the most in H&F over the next 15 years. The commission focused on the three areas older residents say concern them:
- loneliness and isolation
- poverty and deprivation
- access to services across the borough.
The aims
The Older People's Commission have identified opportunities that contribute to older residents living active, enriching, and healthy lives and create an environment for older people to share ideas, problems and solutions.
This is so they can:
- put the issues and inequalities experienced by older residents into the spotlight and find new ways to address them
- enable older people to shape the policies and services that affect them
- influence national debate about our ageing population.
The methods
The commission has:
- listened to older people and taken forward issues that are important to them
- conducted a thorough review of available evidence and information on such issues
- steered research with older people, groups, service providers and organisations
- made recommendations to local, regional, and national policy makers
- proposed solutions to improve services across the borough.
The commission's work reflects the evidence and results collected from community engagement events, focus groups, interviews, evidence hearings, expert presentations as well as surveys.
Reports
The commission's first report with interim findings and recommendations was published in March 2018 and focuses on isolation and loneliness.
The commission's final report was published in March 2019.
Audio version of the commission's final report
The commissioners
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Bryan has been a resident of H&F for over 30 years and served as chairman of the Older People's Consultative Forum for more than seventeen years before his election as president of the forum earlier this year. He is also a Trustee of H&F Age UK.
Bryan is visually impaired and is a volunteer speaker for the Macular Society, a role which puts him in touch with older people across London and the home counties. Bryan is married with two children and three grandchildren.
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Iain is from Glasgow, has a degree in Chemistry and started his career in the world of investment banking working for Goldman Sachs in New York before moving to London.
He has over 15 years' experience of working for charitable organisations, including Teach First, Asthma UK and Age UK, and is motivated by the deep held belief that everyone should be afforded the same opportunities in life regardless of their background or personal circumstances.
Iain is now hugely excited to return to a charity that promotes a positive approach to later life in his role as CEO of Open AGE.
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Jazz is the Chief Executive of Nubian Life Resource Centre Ltd, a culturally specific day opportunities service for older people with complex health and social care needs.
A former resident of the borough, Jazz grew up on the White City Estate and has worked in the borough of Hammersmith & Fulham for over 20 years. She sits on the steering group of PoPS "Providers of Older Peoples Services" and is currently working closely with PoPS and Hammersmith & Fulham CCG to coordinate health and voluntary sector services to respond to the needs of frequent users of emergencies services.
Jazz is developing partnerships with MOPAC (Mayors Office for Police and Crime) and the MetBPA to improve the Metropolitan Police Service's response to Elder Abuse and crimes against older people.
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Keith has worked for H&F Mind for the past five years as a Primary Care Mental Health Advisor. Alongside this, Keith has been a trustee of H&F Healthwatch since July 2015, and sits on the Hammersmith & Fulham Health and Wellbeing Board.
He has an extensive background in teaching and was a councillor for H&F Council for eight years. Keith lives in the borough.
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Anne is Founder and Director of Soup4Lunch Ltd, a local community-based social enterprise fighting isolation by bringing kitchen gardens and community cafes to sheltered housing across Hammersmith and Fulham.
Soup4Lunch runs its projects on an asset-based model with volunteers from among residents of our sheltered housing schemes and our local communities.
Anne is an advocate for mental health and positive, active ageing and has worked in the field for over 40 years in the UK and internationally. Anne has lived in Shepherds Bush for 30 years and is a carer.
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Marilyn is a retired Residential Care Manager, who is currently working as a volunteer for Hammersmith & Fulham. She chairs many forums and participates in workshops and panels. She is also a resident living in the borough and hopes "to make this the best borough to retire in".
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Liban came to the UK from Kenya as a refugee in 1999. Although facing adversity, Liban was able to hold down several jobs, pursue further education and start a family.
In the course of taking on these jobs and self-employment, Liban began to help his community who were experiencing large levels of social exclusion and disadvantage. His involvement ranged from providing information and advice services, volunteering as a carer and setting up a supplementary school.
In 2014, Liban founded the Lido Foundation, a UK registered charity that empowers the Somali community. It aims to overcome disadvantage through education, training, and guidance service's. He is currently the Chief Executive of the Foundation.
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Lyn has volunteered with Fulham Good Neighbours for over twelve years, since her return from France, where she practised as an architect. Her last job in London was as principal architect at Shepherd's Bush Housing Association.
Prior to working in social housing, Lyn was a hospital planner. She is married but sadly her husband has dementia and has recently moved to a care home.
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Rosalind has lived in the Borough for 12 years and was previously a Commissioner on the Poverty and Worklessness Commission. She is a UCL academic and educationalist and an advocate of lifelong learning.