YMCA Lincolnshire has launched a range of support programmes for businesses and companies to help them become more ‘Age-friendly’.

The charity runs Age-friendly Awareness Training and the Age-friendly Business Award. These are a continuation of the TED Ageing Better in East Lindsey programme, a seven-year National Lottery Community Fund-backed project which ended in March 2022.

Businesses and organisations take part in Age-friendly Awareness Training to learn about some of the challenges and barriers older people can face when using services.

Participants explore the ageing process and its impact on the quality of daily life, look at the physical environment and suggest ways it could be made more accessible to older people.

As well as conventional presentations and quizzes, Age-friendly Awareness Training for Lincolnshire involves a highly-practical element: wearing a simulation suit to complete day-to-day activities.

Since April 2022, our Age-friendly Business Award project has helped recognise Age-friendly businesses across Lincolnshire. The Award, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, supports a business to attain a certificate of age-friendliness through four main aspects:

• Respect and Inclusion
• Clear Marketing and Communication
• Customer Comfort
• Accessibility

The Award process begins with a self-assessment (aided by an age-friendly business toolkit) and a review to validate that the business has adapted to welcome older people.

Businesses who receive the Award are recognised with a certificate and window sticker and become part of the Age-friendly Business Network.

“Age-friendly Businesses help support and enable a positive experience for all residents and visitors as they go about their day-to-day business across Lincolnshire.

“Age-friendly Businesses also offer an opportunity for engagement and social connectedness that might not otherwise exist.” - Jane Adams, YMCA Lincolnshire Communities Manager.

We are working to create a Lincolnshire where people are connected, communities thrive and opportunities exist for all so we can continue to develop the mind, body and spirit of individuals, families and communities and improve health and wellbeing for all.

We work with people, giving them the skills, resources, connections and confidence to help them deliver a better future for themselves, the people they care about and the communities they live in.

Our Lincolnshire project work includes a Village Hall advisory service for the county, Community Development work focused on talking through issues that matter and finding solutions, often by linking people to services and people within the community, and continuing to develop our growing network of Good Neighbour Schemes.

We also offer other services to the community, such as energy advice through the Big Energy Saving Network, Anglian Water and various other projects.

To learn more about YMCA Lincolnshire Communities Team’s work, visit https://www.lincsymca.co.uk/communities/ (website under development)

For more detailed information, contact:

Age-friendly Awareness Training: amy.needham@lincsymca.co.uk

Age-friendly Business Award: grace.tompkins@lincsymca.co.uk

If you have any other queries, please contact: communities@lincsymca.co.uk