Agenda item - Update on the World Health Organisation (WHO)- Age Friendly City (AFC)

68.1         The Secretary informed members that at Full Council on the 19 July 2012 Councillors approved the application that the OPC put forward for AFC.

68.2         It was uncertain whether the WHO would send a response to the application for AFC and whether there would be some kind of assessment made. Responses would take a while.

68.3         Annie Alexander, Public Health Programme Manager would be driving this forward

68.4         Members highlighted the following points which included:

·        That footpaths had deteriorated due to uneven pavements and how these had become real hazards.

·        There was a need for more seating areas. Members asked for more information on how many new public seats were installed in 2011 and how many were removed; including parks and the seafront. Also what were the reasons for moving or removing the seating areas?

·        Members felt that services communicated mainly through computers which was not always a suitable medium for older people

·        Restaurant furniture on forecourts was also an issue for the partially sighted, people with walking frames and prams. It was suggested the OPC could survey this as a group and feedback to the Council.

·        Find out information from the European Union (who sponsors the programme). Manchester are the only other city with AFC status, it was important to find out how they approached the programme, involve partners and the council. It would be useful to have an older people’s project speaker (who attended the recent conference), from Dorset.

·        It was noted that there would be an AFC launch and this would be an opportunity to invite speakers from Manchester and Dorset.

·        By joining the WHO information would be made available which would include help and guidance.

·        The OPC needed working groups for the 9 areas which included housing, environment with leadership from the council and input from partners. The groups would need to ensure that topics of interest for older people were discussed, to utilise the OPC website, Grey Matters Productions, and older people from residents associations.

·        It was important that these areas of concern were addressed as a baseline and assessed as part of the AFC. Additionally the deficits of having such a status needed to be identified.