Summer EngAGE

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Inspiring Individuals A decade of making a difference for older people Lucy Smith, Chair of the Older People’s Engagement Network, talks about her determination to have older voices heard. “I came to England at 17 after being brought up by my grandparents in Poland and attending Grammar school in Berlin. Following the war there was just no food and, as a teenager I was always hungry, so I got a job serving meals in the Sergeants Mess. I’d been told that I could eat as much as I wanted while working there, so I jumped at the chance and lucky I did because that’s where I met my husband. We married and settled in Sheffield where I worked as a tutor teaching people life skills - particularly women wanting to return to work who had lost confidence - and reinforced their English and maths, interview and IT skills and helped them into taster jobs. I also did dance and drama workshops for children at the weekend. I can’t sit still, not me. When we retired and moved to Leicester I started to get involved with older people’s issues and forums. I was a founder member of the Older People’s Engagement Network and have been the Chair ever since. I didn’t want to set the Network up as just a regular little coffee morning, I did it to make a difference and I wanted it to have meaning. I have made it my business to get the message out and to draw people in, giving talks around the County and meeting with key people at County Hall. I do believe that if you communicate in the right way to establish some respect and credibility it helps to get the message across. I am pleased that more and more organisations are coming to us to hear our views and ask for our input. We have representatives from all districts in Leicestershire which gives us a reach of more than 3,000 older people from across the County. We have recently had our 10th anniversary and I think we have been successful because we don’t let people rely on us but help them to do things for themselves. People don’t always realise what they will enjoy doing but it’s important to offer a foothold and provide an opportunity to influence. I go to a lot of meetings and think that strategies are fine but I am more interested in how they affect people in reality. Somebody’s got to make it a reality for the older people who will be affected by the strategy, and that is what I am passionate about. I am also passionate about intergenerational work and I firmly believe that young and old should mix to break down barriers. I approached the Youth Councils in Blaby and at County Hall and from there we started the ‘Bridging the Years’ annual intergenerational event. We have had three events so far which have brought together the young and old for a really successful day of activities. We are already starting to plan for next year’s event which will take place during Older People’s Month in October 2018. I am very busy but I think that whilst I am able, why shouldn’t I be? I think that age is just a number, it’s the person you should see. At 87, I am confident that people are seeing me and my work rather than my age. ” 20 | sUMMER 2017 www.ageukleics.org.uk
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Summer EngAGE

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