LinkAge

Tackling loneliness and promoting positive lifestyles

LinkAge is a Bristol charity that works with older people over 55 and local communities to facilitate inspiring social activities that enrich lives, reduce isolation and loneliness, and promote active participation. Our motto of ‘Involve, Inspire, Enjoy’ reflects our philosophy that older people have a right to rich and fulfilling life experiences and an active place in society.  We believe that strong social networks, involvement in local communities, and undertaking physical or creative activities, are a shield against the challenges of ageing.

In each community area that LinkAge works in they set up a local ‘Advisory Group’ of people over 55 who decide on what activities are developed locally. These decisions are informed by feedback from the wider community at open days, well-being days and taster sessions. LinkAge takes a very ‘demand driven’ approach to the development of new activities, it will only put on an activity if there is enough community interest in it which means that every community has a different portfolio of opportunities and activities.

Our responsive and inclusive approach has developed a rash of surprising activities that challenge stereotypes including Archery, Arts & Crafts, Choirs, Cooking, Canoeing, Holistic Therapies, Golf, IT, New Age Kurling, Ping Pong, Walking Netball and Football, Rowing, Sailing, Tai Chi, and Yoga. We have also developed a varied portfolio of intergenerational activity.

Over the last three years LinkAge has rapidly expanded across Bristol going from having two community hubs to having six community hubs with projects in an additional seven areas of the city. LinkAge now engages with over 3000 people a year, has over 220 volunteers, but only has a small core staff team.

LinkAge has a unique and very effective community development model, we raise the profile around what is already taking place within a community for older people to help make it successful and sustainable and then work with the local community to fill any gaps and develop new activities. We act as a catalyst that galvanises communities into a surge of activity which, because they are locally owned and led, increasingly self-sustaining, and produce value and outcomes far beyond their cost.

LinkAge endeavours to reach the most lonely and isolated to get them up and out of their chairs and enjoying life with other people. Our trained volunteers befriend older people in their homes and provide them with companionship. The ACE Project (Active, Connected, Engaged Communities) matches older volunteers with lonely older people. The volunteer finds out what interests the person and takes them to a range of community activities building the confidence, self-esteem with the longer term objective of the once lonely older person attending activities on their own.

We also have a very diverse network of referrals into our befriending scheme, ACE project and activities. This ranges from a very community focus – neighbours, friends, family, local faith or community groups – to a host of professionals including community nurses, intermediate care, social care, falls clinics, home from hospital, and many, many more.

Volunteering is at the heart of our work and we create what we term ‘virtuous circles of volunteering’, where older people who are benefitting from an activity decide that they also want to give back to their community by volunteering. This is the model that has been used for years by Walking for Health to ensure that they have a continuous supply of trained walk leaders (ensuring a long term legacy of walks) but is something that happens across LinkAge by people who feel connected to and part of “the LinkAge family” and want to do their bit to help.

LinkAge is proud to be working with over 80 different organisations, across all sectors and at all levels, community, city wide, regionally and nationally. Partnership is the bedrock to what we deliver and it has been a crucial contributing factor to our expansion. We have benefitted tremendously from these partnerships including from finance, staff support, resources, knowledge, social capital, ideas, best practice, as well as good will, trust, respect and peer support. It has also really enriched our organisation in terms of the creativity and perspective.

LinkAge has undertaken specific work around developing cross cultural relationships between BME groups and intergenerational work both of which contribute strongly to making friendlier and more understanding and empathetic communities. The key to these developments has been the establishment of the LinkAge BME Elders Consortium Group which brings together individuals from different BME Elder groups and the African Caribbean, South Asian, Somali and a Chinese communities and runs training sessions, events, trips, and activities, and shares knowledge, support, experience and resources.

LinkAge run a real range of intergenerational projects across Bristol, in collaboration with other organisations, such as Young Bristol, the Prince’s Trust and schools, that address issues that affect young people, older people, and build community cohesion. It plays a vital role in helping us to achieve this, especially in helping to make our local communities more friendly, active, vibrant and cohesive.

“With the right mixture of positive challenge and support communities can find their own solutions to some of society’s big problems such as isolation and loneliness. With a bit of direction, inspiration, support, and enthusiasm, and, although it sounds odd, with the permission and mechanism, people will take control, ownership and get involved“.

Claire Miller – LinkAge Chief Executive