Agenda item

Votes on amendment in the name of Councillor Thomas were recorded as follows:

For: 18

Against: 37

Abstain: 0

Absent: 7

Total: 62

The motion in the name of Councillor Thomas was LOST.

Votes on the substantive motion in the name of Councillor Gill Sargeant were recorded as follows:

For: 55

Against:0

Abstain:0

Absent: 7

Total: 62

The motion in the name of Councillor Gill Sargeant was therefore CARRIED.

RESOLVED that:

 Council notes that: 

1.    According to the 2021 census, there are 26,300 residents in Barnet who are 75 and over.

2.    This is an increase of 11% since 2011 and means that older people are an increasingly significant proportion of our community and projections show this will only continue to increase.

3.    We want older people in Barnet to be able to live active, independent and fulfilling lives for as long as possible.

4.    Just as we aspire to Barnet being family friendly and dementia friendly, we want our Borough to be ‘age friendly’

5.    Age Friendly Communities is a concept developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2007 with almost 1500 members worldwide.

6.    In an Age Friendly Community, services, local groups, businesses and residents all work together to identify and make the necessary changes in both the physical and social environment to both support and enable older people to lead healthy and active lives.

7.    Council recognises that older people make a positive contribution to life in Barnet, through employment, volunteering, caring, and in other spheres.

8.    Council recognises that Barnet has a strong foundation in its network of community, voluntary, faith and public services that support older residents

9.    Working together with community and voluntary groups, the council’s Ageing Well and Mental Health champion and interested councillors have already identified the first steps we need to take to put this plan into action.

Council also notes that:

1.    Becoming an Age Friendly Community is a statement of intent to:

a.    take into account ageing, and the needs and wishes of older people in every area of policy making,

b.    to take those needs seriously,

c.    to combat ageism that is seen in every area of society, particularly the portrayal of older people as a burden

d.    to share with the UK Network of Age Friendly Communities knowledge and expertise that will improve the lives of our residents in later life.

2.    To become officially recognised as Age Friendly, the leadership in a town, city or county must make a written commitment to actively work towards becoming a great place to grow old in for all of its residents.

3.    This must be done with the support and engagement of older people and relevant stakeholders across the public, education, voluntary, community and faith sector, and businesses.

Council, therefore, resolves to:

1.    Make an official application to join the UK Network of Age Friendly Communities as a first step in its commitment towards joining the World Health Organisation Global Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities.

2.    Rename the Council’s Ageing Well and Mental Health Champion, the ‘Age Friendly and Mental Health Champion’, who will work with the Chair of the Adults and Safeguarding Committee to progress the Age Friendly Community agenda.