80 years of Age UK Norwich

Turning 80 is a milestone worth celebrating in style, and this year, Age UK Norwich is doing exactly that as it marks 8 decades supporting older people across the city.

Formed on 27 April 1945, as the Second World War neared its end, the Norwich Older People’s Welfare Committee was created by local leaders and volunteers as a response to the food shortages and difficult living conditions faced by many older people, to contribute towards a better and fairer society.

Over the years, the committee’s community work and services for local older people continued to grow, until it eventually became the hub of support that Age UK Norwich is today.

To celebrate this special birthday, Age UK Norwich has already hosted an abseil challenge, a garden party, and is working towards raising £80,000 for its local services. But today marks the launch of the pinnacle of the celebrations: a week of events, talks, workshops and an archive exhibition, taking place in the glass-walled splendour of The Forum in Norwich city centre – officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Norwich, Paul Kendrick, and the Sheriff of Norwich, Stuart Wright.

A display of kindness

Before the afternoon’s programme of talks and Q&As begins, the atrium of The Forum is already bustling with visitors. Holding their attention is the archive exhibition, which communicates the story and work of Age UK Norwich.

Its history is vividly shared via a timeline, included as part of the exhibition, that the charity officially became Age Concern Norwich in 1971, and launched its first lunch club and formal Meals on Wheels service in 1972. Later, during the 2000s, their Advice Line reached 10,000 calls for the first time, before the charity officially became Age UK Norwich in 2011.

Elsewhere, stories from service users capture the imagination. 89-year-old Audrey’s story, for instance, is one of triumph over trying circumstances. After an accident left her in a wheelchair, Audrey turned to Age UK Norwich for support in rebuilding her confidence. Not only did she successfully apply for the financial support she needed to get out and about, but Audrey has also become a regular at a whole host of classes and clubs run by Age UK Norwich. “I absolutely love my sit-fit classes,” says Audrey. “Without them I’d be stuck in an armchair.”

And then there’s Mark and Toni’s story, which illustrates that anything’s possible if you take that first step to trying something new. Having both attended Age UK Norwich’s ‘Over 50s Night Out’ to quell their loneliness, Mark and Toni found love and were engaged six weeks after their first date. “Don’t let fear hold you back,” advises Mark. “Get out there and socialise.”

This exhibition has been a labour of love for Megan Durrant, Age UK Norwich’s Marketing and Communications Lead, who wanted to celebrate the organisation’s legacy in a visually striking and interactive way.

“My first step was to dive into our archives,” explains Megan. “We’re lucky in that we have some amazing materials that we could use to inform the work, including clippings from the 1960s and ‘70s, and images going back to before the Second World War.

“But I didn’t want this to be just a collection of dates and documents,” continues Megan. “I wanted to bring together the videos, stories and experiences of our former staff and trustees, long-time volunteers, and older residents who had been involved with or supported by Age UK Norwich over the years. Bringing their stories to the forefront of the exhibition. Their memories became the beating heart of the project.”

It’s not just about the past

The week’s events aren’t only reflecting Age UK Norwich’s past – they’re helping older people in the present and future, too, as Patron William Armstrong OBE points out in his opening remarks. “The most important reminder is not what we have done, but the reminder that we are still so needed,” explains William. “Although people are generally living longer, the quality of life of older people is in decline.”

What’s more, 15% of people in the Norwich area are aged 65 and over, with that number set to rise to 40% by 2040. Pensioner poverty levels in Norwich are also almost double the average.

And with statistics suggesting that people living in Norwich’s most deprived areas die a decade earlier than in more affluent areas – and 25% of older people in Norwich live in income-deprived areas – there’s much work to be done.

The day’s free workshops and Q&As include information about how to stay safe online, accessible bus travel and how to manage wills and probate, and there's also a talk on the importance of better walking for prolonged stability. The latter talk, given by Dr Diana Hodgins MBE, Founder and CEO of Dynamic Metrics, is of great importance, considering that 8,500 older people experience falls in the Norwich area each year, sometimes with serious or catastrophic results.

And with this afternoon’s talk from Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Age UK, on how to change how we age, the celebrations are also looking to the future. “The reason why I love coming here is because of the work you do to bring older people into the community,” Paul commended the team at Age UK Norwich. “It’s sometimes the case with organisations that work with older people that they want to wrap their arms around older people and protect them. Well, that’s the wrong way around. We want to change the way society thinks about older people, so that all older people can do the things they want to do.”

A platform for change

In 2023, Age UK Norwich committed to helping make the city truly age-friendly, through improving services and influencing change. For Megan, events like this celebration are a crucial way to start the conversation about what it means to grow older.

“Events like these play a vital role in tackling social isolation, promoting intergenerational understanding, and reaffirming the value of older people in society,” says Megan. “It’s given us a platform to raise our most pressing concerns about ageing in Norwich to our local MPs. And it’s meant that older people get to see their lives and contributions acknowledged in such a public and celebratory way.

“Preserving and sharing our history is a way of building pride, purpose, and belonging across generations.”