"Help us create a manifesto for change"

28/04/2008

Counsel and Care, the national charity getting the best care and support for older people, their families and carers, has launched a new campaign to produce a national manifesto for older people for the next General Election.
 
VotingAge, a campaign run by and for older people, is seeking the views of older people across the country on issues that affect their lives. These views will be published in a manifesto that will be presented to the political parties at the 2008 party conferences.
 
The charity is inviting interested people over 60 to attend a consultation event in Southampton for the South region in May. Future VotingAge events will be held in Leeds and London this summer.
 
As part of the consultation, Counsel and Care will launch an internet ‘blog’ for older people, their families and carers to contribute their views.   For those without access to the internet, there will be opportunities to send in their comments and have them posted to the blog on their behalf.
 
Stephen Burke, Chief Executive of Counsel and Care, said: “While older people’s care and support is rising to the top of the political agenda in 2008, it is less certain whether the wider concerns that affect the whole lives of older people will be addressed in the lead up to the next General Election.
 
“The VotingAge manifesto will be developed for older people by older people. In this way, we can ensure that the real opinions of older people on the issues that matter most to them are central to the political party manifestos.”