Older People's Strategy - Newcastle City Council

31There is an increasing need for older people to give their time andskills to sustaining a range of activities which are vital to theirpeers and younger generations. For example, members of theUniversity of the Third Age providing opportunities for learningtogether; older people organising community groups; volunteersworking on handyperson and gardening schemes; being abefriender or buddy for people who have become sociallyisolated; supporting children in schools with basic skills; being amember of a time bank; and, increasingly, providing childcare toenable younger family members to take up or keep employment.It is important to provide ongoing and trusted support to thiscontribution. Very often, the organisations which support thiswork come and go as policies change and funding sourceschange, and, despite good work, fail to influence long-termdevelopments. There is a need for well-informed networks ofsupport agencies with access to flexible funding at communitylevel to stimulate and support this activity.Good transport provision is key to enabling older people tosustain their involvement in community life and is particularlysignificant in enabling more frail older people to get involved inactivity. Accessible public transport and a range of communitytransport options (e.g. TaxiLink and LinkUp) are key toaddressing this issue. Better partnership working betweentransport planners/providers and agencies working with olderpeople is needed (see Outcome 4c).The availability of a place in which to meet, with appropriateaccess and facilities, at a reasonable cost is very important toenabling small, informal groups run by older people to sustaintheir activities.