Consultation open for Derry Age-Friendly Strategy and Action Plan

The consultation is now live online and will remain open until 5pm on April 5th, 2023. The consultation aims to establish local views on the strategy which has been developed by the Age Friendly Alliance, supported by Council and the Public Health Agency (PHA). It reflects the aspirations of almost 500 people aged 50 and over, living in the Derry and Strabane area, as well as representatives from the public, community and voluntary sectors.

The consultation was launched today by the Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Sandra Duffy, who encouraged local people to ensure their views are reflected in the strategy.

She said: “Consultation is so important when it comes to refining the strategies that help shape our society. The onus is on all of us to contribute and ensure that the overall vision represents the real priorities of people living and working in all areas of our City and District. The input from the public will help set out the desired outcomes and help formulate the actions and delivery structure that will achieve those goals. We want to establish a very clear framework to help progress those ambitions and ensure that the views of our older community are the driving force of this strategy from the very beginning.”

Age Friendly Co-ordinator with Council, Ciara Burke said: “Age should not be a barrier to living a happy and fulfilled life, and we want to ensure that people aged 50 and over are actively involved in the decisions that affect them. This new strategy is based on a co-design approach and connects to and complements other strategies and policies which impact on the lives of older people. We hope that this consultation will help us really maximise older people’s experiences and will focus on key priorities people identified moving forward.”

Fiona Teague, Head of Health Improvement (West) at the PHA, said: “As we have an ageing population, the Public Health Agency would encourage older people to take the time to consider the Age Friendly Strategy & Action Plan and to feel empowered to share their thoughts on the actions to be delivered over the next three years. Direct input from those who are greatest affected is crucial to ensuring the development of a plan that will help improve physical and mental health and wellbeing outcomes. The PHA and Council’s partnership is endeavouring to ensure the successful development of the area as an Age Friendly community, where older people can continue to make a valuable contribution to our society.”

Brónach McMonagle, Involvement Manager with the WHSCT Health Improvement, Performance and Service Improvement team outlined “The Western Health and Social Care Trust is delighted to support the Derry City and Strabane Age Friendly Strategy and Action Plan. With the population of Northern Ireland, and our borough, becoming increasingly older, we recognise the importance of ensuring our homes and communities are adapting to support the health and wellbeing of local older people. The WHSCT is committed to working alongside partners to deliver on the strategy and help our older people continue to live independently and stay socially connected and engaged in their communities”.

The Consultation can be completed by a member of the public, or it can be completed on behalf of a group or organisation.

You can download both the questionnaire and an easy read version at http://www.derrystrabane.com/consultations.

This information is available upon request in a number of alternative formats, please contact 028 71 253253 or email [email protected] for further information or to request an alternative format.