Same old, same old.....

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A new study has found that the number of pensioners continuing to work has almost doubled in the last 20 years from 0.75 million to 1.4 million, but what does this mean for the UK? Whether the decision to carry on working past retirement age is economically, politically or legislatively motivated or indeed based purely on personal choice, there is a clear shift in the age people are choosing to retire at in the UK and a clear need for a cultural shift to match.

Antiquated ‘rules’ around productivity and traditional views of ageing mean that this shift needed is huge but there are signs that the tide might be turning. A few years in and clearly the law change around working past retirement age is having a positive effect – people are doing it – and there seems to be much less stigma around older people in the work place. But as always there’s more to do around empowering those individuals to feel they are able to continue working and that they have skills and experience to offer to their communities and employers.
Our Abundant Life project is just one tiny piece of the puzzle but we think it’s a really important one. The project is centered around treating individuals as individuals, and, as well as providing a new independent living option for those over 55, we hope that the project will generate new opportunities for residents and the local community to develop their skills and interests or pick up new ones. We firmly believe that empowering older people to learn new things and seek out new opportunities will in turn help them to continue contributing to society, long after they would have done in previous years. We think that creating an environment where people can support and be supported by each other is incredibly powerful and one which would have a positive effect on wider society. Sadly we aren’t able to tackle society as a whole, so our efforts are focussed on the biggest issues, which in the South West, has to be older people.

Whilst, we and organisations like ours, are focussing on empowering people to make the most of their later lives there are plenty of others playing their role in turning the tide. There is now a wealth of information on www.direct.gov.uk for those wanting to consider and plan their later years, as well as organisations offering grants and advice to those looking to start a new venture or become self employed.

If you want to find out more about the Abundant Life project please visit abundantlife@dartington.org

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