Campaigning

In addition to our role providing direct services, part of Age Concern Blackburn with Darwen’s mission is to support local older people to have their views heard and needs taken into account.  We do this through a range of campaigning and influencing activities.

We spend much time working with other local organisations aiming to improve service provision and influencing decision making and service planning.

Recent examples of Age Concern campaigns include fighting to increase the availability of drugs for Alzheimers disease; campaigning for legislation on age discrimination; access to independent advice services.

Current Campaigns

• Hungry to be Heard
• The Price of No Advice
• Just Equal Treatment

Influencing

As well as campaigning on specific issues we also spend much of our time influencing local policy, practice, service planning, commissioning and delivery.  We are members of a wide range of partnerships, forums and networks, including the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP), Community Network and Adult Safeguarding Board.  Our role is to ensure older people's needs and views are always taken into account.  through this work we input into a number of planning processes.

The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment is a key process for influencing service planning which we have had a significant role in developing.

How You Can Get Involved

We are always keen to know what issues are important to local people.  Click here to tell us what issues are important to you.

50+ Partnership

Age Concern Blackburn with Darwen is responsible for co-ordinating the local 50+ Partnership (formerly the Older Peoples Partnership).  The Partnership is a thematic sub group of the Blackburn with Darwen Local Strategic Partnership with the role to ensure that older peoples needs and views are represented at the highest strategic level locally.  The Partnership is responsible for the implementaion of the Blackburn with Darwen Older PEoples Strategy and Action Plan and for monitoring the delivery of the National Service Framework for Older People .

The Partnership has established a Panel of 500 local older people to act as a reference group for it's work, to ensure that it is truly representing the views and needs of older people

Click here to find out more.

Join the Older Peoples Forum

Age Concern works closely with the Blackburn with Darwen Older Peoples Forum (OPF).  The Forum, which has a membership of over 1800 members, exists to campaign to improve services for older people.  If you’re over 50 and live in Blackburn with Darwen click here to find out more.