Engagement

The National Partnerships Team, formerly known as the Engagement Team, supports older people to shape and influence the development and delivery of quality services and policies that reflect their needs and priorities.   

In order to do this the team carries out a number of functions.  

It provides secretariat services to four independent organisations:  

Supporting the work of these bodies ensures that older people are collectively able to contribute to the development of both social services and wider government policy, nationally and locally, and facilitates their participation in the coproduction of services. Age Cymru secretariat support includes arranging meetings, preparing papers, liaising with speakers and organising expenses.    

In addition, we provide each organisation with support to:  

You can learn more about the networks we support here: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/cymru/about-us/groups-and-networks/  

We also carry out consultation exercises with other teams within Age Cymru, or in collaboration with others, in order to ensure older people have opportunities to participate in discussions around the issues that matter to them. For example, we have been commissioned to assist Welsh Government in their engagement on their Strategy for an Ageing Society, organising and facilitating focus group events for older people across Wales and provide a full report of the findings. 

Until recently our work included the organisation of engagement sessions across Wales, visiting community venues, local older people’s groups and forums, arts centres, supermarkets, markets etc. The calendar of events can be found here: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/cymru/get-involved/come-and-chat-to-us/  

These sessions are open to all Age Cymru staff, if they should have a need to engage with older people. This work has now been taken on by Joanna Yarr of the Policy Team, so please contact her directly if you wish to be involved in these activities at joanna.yarr@agecymru.org.uk  

Similarly, until recently our work included the organisation of Age Cymru’s Consultative Forum. These quarterly meetings help ensure the work of Age Cymru is informed by the views and perspectives of older people from communities across Wales. The forum is made up of up to 40 volunteers who discuss issues of key concern to older people, provide information for Age Cymru policy positions and give advice that will assist Age Cymru trustees to shape decision making within the Charity. This work is now being carried out by Charlotte Raymond of the Operations team. She can be contacted at charlotte.raymond@agecymru.org.uk