Dorset joins UK-wide celebration for International Day of Older People

To mark the International Day of Older People today, Dorset Council is proud to stand alongside the Centre for Ageing Better and the UK Network of Age-friendly Communities.

This year’s theme of Building Belonging: Celebrating the power of our social connections, highlights the importance of staying connected at every stage of life.

Dorset Council is embracing this message by recognising how connection, inclusion, and community impact everything from housing to health and social care.

Creating age-friendly communities doesn’t always require big actions, often, it’s the small everyday moments that matter most such as a friendly hello, a shared smile, or lending a hand.

These interactions, both big and small, help people feel happy, included, and engaged in the places we live.

Older people play a key role in building this sense of belonging, and as part of our journey towards an Age-Friendly Dorset, we’ll soon be inviting older residents to help co-design a county-wide action plan.

Recently, we visited Younger 4 Longer, a fantastic chair-based exercise class in Wareham, where movement and friendship are helping older adults stay active and connected. It’s a great example of how local initiatives can support healthy ageing and social inclusion.

Margaret is a member, and she says attending the sessions has helped the group stay more mobile than they might have been otherwise. She also highlights how important the group is for socialising, and that following a knee operation, the class played a key role in supporting her recovery.

Each year on 1st October, people around the world mark the United Nations International Day of Older People to raise awareness of the opportunities and challenges faced by ageing populations and to inspire communities to act in support of older people.