Move to fill 'voice' gap in Dumfries and Galloway

At a meeting in Dumfries on Monday aimed at reconstituting the defunct Dumfries & Galloway Elderly Forum, more than 50 interested people assembled and agreed to establish a completely new organisation, to be known as D&G Over 50s Group.
The meeting was unanimous that the words older people, seniors, elderly or forum should not appear anywhere in the title of the new grouping and that the emphasis should be on maturity, experience and positive ageing.
Age Scotland Development Officer Morag Halliday, who convened the meeting, said: "I had messages of support from groups of people in both Moffat and Wigtownshire who couldn't attend but wanted to assure me of their support and interest in participating in any new body that emerged from the Forum's ashes.
"The next step is for me to get together with the 12 people who volunteered to be part of a steering committee to devise a simple governance structure that will encompass local groups that meet, representation on local and national forums and bodies where older people's issues are discussed, information sharing and the organisation of regular bi-annual or annual social gatherings across the region."
A further open meeting to launch the new group is planned once the governance structure is in place and there is intense interest from both local people and the local media in developments, since the shock demise of the three and a half thousand strong D&G Elderly Forum after 22 years in existence.
Tweet