Listening to the Voices of Older People in County Mayo Consultation on the Mayo Age Friendly Strategy 2021 to 2026 Begins

Date: 13-09-2021

As part of our affiliation to the WHO Global Network of Age Friendly Cities & Communities County Mayo is committed to working towards becoming an Age Friendly County and creating an inclusive, equitable society in which older people can live full, active, valued and healthy lives. Our key commitment of Mayo Age Friendly Strategy 2016 – 2020 was ‘to make Mayo a great place in which to grow old’. The establishment of the Older Person’s Council (OPC) and the Age Friendly Alliance were the first steps towards delivering on this commitment. The OPC is made up of older people representing the needs of older people and the Alliance is made up of key agencies in the County who are overseeing the Mayo Age Friendly Strategy 2016-2020. You can view the Mayo Age Friendly Strategy 2016 to 2020 at https://www.mayo.ie/community/social-inclusion/agefriendly.

The Older People’s Council, the Age Friendly Alliance and Mayo County Council are now preparing a new Age Friendly Strategy that will take us from 2021 to 2026.  We are embarking on a consultation with older people in September to offer an opportunity to people and services to inform us of how best ‘to make Mayo a great place in which to grow old’ over the next 5 years. 

Marie Flanagan, Chairperson of the Older Person’s Council in County Mayo states:

“It is really important that the direct voices of older people are heard in this consultation especially those whose needs and vision may not always have been included or heard. I would encourage as many people as possible to take part in this consultation to inform our next strategy and to tell us what they need to empower themselves and their communities as they grow older”.

The consultation is now underway and due to the continuing Covid-19 public health crisis face to face in person consultation is limited.  However, a number of options are available to people and services to input into the strategy via a range of formats, including through an on-line questionnaire: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7TZYTYK

In addition, to request notice of on-line focus groups, in person focus group (where possible) and / or receive a postal questionnaire or participate in one to one discussion by phone, please contact: agefriendlymayoconsultation@gmail.com / 087 134 9778 and we will be happy to help you to participate in the consultation.  This phase of the consultation closes on October 4, 2021 at 5pm.