The Oxfordshire Age Friendly Cultural Network

Supporting people to love later life is an important part of Age UK Oxfordshire’s work and a research has shown that engaging with the arts has a very positive impact on everyone’s wellbeing. 

With this in mind we have set up the Oxfordshire Age Friendly Cultural Network (OAFCN) to increase the amount of cultural and creative opportunities available to older people locally, and have appointed an Age Friendly Cultural Coordinator, Helen Fountain. 

The OAFCN will support cultural organisations to strengthen partnerships and share information about brilliant arty activities. So far over 100 individuals and organisations have signed up to the OAFCN, from Banbury Museum to Oxford Brookes University, along with interested individuals. Anyone can join the Network and receive a regular newsletter by email with lots of exciting opportunities to get involved in projects, learn about relevant research and training. 

A series of themed events is underway to bring potential partners together and support them in developing creative projects. The theme of the first event was intergenerational activities in which OAFCN members came together in Oxford Town Hall to discuss creating new projects that would bring generations together around a shared love of the arts. The second event took place at the Mill Arts Centre in Banbury and OAFCN members discussed how they could work together as part of the Age Friendly Banbury initiative, developing creative projects that would enable people to learn artistic skills and feel less isolated. The third event will take place at the Ashmolean Museum and explore the world of Digital Arts including apps that enable people to make virtual visits to Museums and Galleries. 

If you would like more information or would like to join, please contact Helen on helenfountain@ageukoxfordshire.org.uk or call  =07827 235 442. For more information about existing groups and opportunities locally please visit www.communitynetworkdirectory.org.uk and for inspiration and information about national creative projects visit www.ageofcreativity.co.uk.