Third Age Foundation builds structures that enable older people to contribute to their communities and engage actively in society. Bridging gaps between generations and disparate populations, Third Age places older people as advocates of isolated groups and runs a number of initiatives, all underpinned with a policy of social inclusion. The Senior Helpline, for example, is a national support service run by trained older volunteers aimed at tackling depression and loneliness among older people, taking over 11,000 calls in 2012. Another programme, Fáilte Isteach, employs senior citizens to teach conversational English to new immigrants and has grown to almost 50 centres around Ireland. In addition, Third Age is a central voice in Government and in the EU, designing programmes and policy that truly value older people and their unique contribution.
Mon Jun 10 2013 - 03:52