Latest News
Assistant Administrator
An exciting opportunity to take part in the development of this county-wide organisation.
Applicants will need good inter-personal, communication and IT skills to include Microsoft Word, Excel. Part time position home based.
For further details and an application form please ring 01803 732678 or email info@scfd.org.uk
Closing datefor aplications Monday 24th November 2008.
May08 Newsletter_
Devon's Senior Council is now formally constituted
The Senior Council for Devon has officially become a constituted body, announcing its new Chairman and Board of Directors.( see press release on home page)
may08newsletter
january08_newsletter_
In East Devon several Senior Council groups have invited Steve Wright from Care Direct to talk about benefits and services available in Devon for people over 50 which has proved very informative .If you would like Steve to speak at your local group contact Care Direct on 0845 1551 007
Working with young people - following a very successful day in December another day was held on 28th May at County Hall with 30 youth reps and 30 senior council members. The day included workshops on Age discrimination , Environment, Health (working with the new LINks ) and the afternoon focussed on transport with a question and answer session to a panel consisting of Managing Directors from First Bus and Stagecoach and Community, Rural and Public Transport staff from Devon County.If you are interested in this aspect of work please contact info@peterfletcherassociates.co.uk
Joy Robinson of Exmouth is one of the first people in Devon to sign up to the county’s Senior Council.
“I went to one of the public meetings and found myself volunteering. Once I would have been too shy and retiring to do anything like this, but the older I get the braver I get! I love talking to people so I will be genuinely interested in listening to the views of concerns of the over 50s.”
Joy has her own concerns that she would like to bring forward with the Senior Council: improved access to buses for older people who find the steps difficult to cope with; pavements in need of repair; affordable housing.
She is also particularly keen to bridge the generation gap between young people and those over 50.
“A lot of older people won’t go out at night because they have a fear of young people. At the same time some young people resent older people like me because they think we are all financially well off while they have little money.
“Of course that’s not true, but we have to develop more contact and a better understanding between the two age groups, and the Senior Council can help to do this.
“It’s nice to be part of an organisation that can improve the lives of so many people.”
Devon County Council’s Champion for Older People, Cllr Eileen Wragg, said:
“The Senior Council will be a powerful body that will use its influence, representing people over 50, to make local services better. It will be made up of people from all over Devon, from every community.
“Devon already has a large population of people over 50, but that figure is rising significantly as people are living longer.
“We’re holding public meetings across the county and inviting everyone with an interest to come along to find out how a Senior Council can help achieve improvements for them in their community.”
Devon is one of only eight local authority areas in the country chosen by the Government to pilot new ways of supporting and empowering people over 50. Developing an independent Senior Council is part of those plans and funding is being provided by Devon County Council and the Department of Work and Pensions to establish a senior Council by March 2008.
