Southwark is set to become an even better place to grow old, with the council's Cabinet approving the Age-Friendly Borough Initiative. The initiative aims to ensure older residents are respected, connected, and able to lead healthy, active lives in communities they help shape.

The Cabinet, which met on Tuesday 14 October 2025, endorsed the initiative, paving the way for a series of measures designed to make Southwark a more age-friendly environment. The initiative builds upon existing work across the council and voluntary sector, such as warm spaces hosted by VCS and faith partners, emergency grants for food and energy, pension credit uptake campaigns, the Streets for People programme, digital inclusion initiatives, housing adaptation support, residential care improvements, integrated care and frailty support, personalised prevention planning, free activities for adults over 60, a community toilet scheme, and funding for community events.

These include:

  • Establishing a cross-council officer working group to coordinate internal delivery of the initiative and align departmental activity.
  • Maintaining the Older Persons Age-Friendly Forum as an advisory group.
  • Raising the profile of the programme to establish age-friendly approaches as a corporate priority.
  • Allocating a £50,000 budget for a communication and engagement campaign, including developing an age-friendly identity.
  • Using the age-friendly budget to support engagement activities and events.
  • Allocating project management resource from the council's Change Team. The meeting information indicates that the allocation of project management resource from the council's Change Team is only for the next 12 months. Proposals for longer-term resourcing will be brought back to the Cabinet for approval at a later date.

Councillor Stephanie Cryan, Cabinet Member for Equalities, Democracy and Finance, declared a non-pecuniary interest in this item, as she is a trustee of Rotherhithe Consolidated Charities, which were consulted on this item. Joint work is already underway with Rotherhithe Consolidated Charities to increase applications to annual stipend payments.

By designing with older people in mind, the council hopes to create a borough that is safer, more inclusive, and more liveable for everyone.

The vision for an Age-Friendly Southwark is a borough where older residents are respected, connected, and able to lead healthy, active lives in communities they help shape.

The initiative is being led by Councillor Evelyn Akoto, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, with officer leadership from the Assistant Chief Executive, Strategy and Communities, supporting strategic alignment across the council.

The Cabinet also:

  • Endorsed the five existing working groups and note the progress made over the last period on Housing, Transport, Community Support & Health Services, Outdoor Spaces and Buildings, and Respect & Inclusion, and note the early actions being progressed (See Appendix 2 of the Public reports pack Tuesday 14-Oct-2025 14.00 Cabinet). The specific priorities for each of the five working groups are:

    • Housing: Improving access to suitable, affordable housing that supports older people's independence and wellbeing. The draft Older Persons (Age-Friendly) Housing Strategy has been completed, and the public consultation has now closed. A final version of the strategy is planned to be brought to Cabinet for approval in October 2025.
    • Transport: Addressing barriers to transport access for older people, particularly around Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs), Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), and bus travel. Initial planning has begun on several communications and access-related improvements.
    • Community Support & Health Services: Addressing loneliness and isolation, improving access to mental health and wellbeing support, and shaping future models of care that reflect older residents' needs and experiences. A coordinated borough-wide directory of services is being maintained and distributed.
    • Outdoor Spaces & Buildings: Raising awareness on existing place-based programmes and exploring how older people can better influence and benefit from these programmes.
    • Respect & Inclusion: Raising the visibility and profile of older people in Southwark, celebrating their diversity, and tackling ageism. Work is also underway to improve access to digital support and ensure services and public spaces feel inclusive and welcoming to all older residents.

  • Approved and supported raising the profile of the programme to establish Age-Friendly approaches as a corporate priority which are routinely considered in work across the organisation.

  • Endorsed the establishment of a £50,000 budget for a communication and engagement campaign targeted and co-produced with the older community to link them with relevant services and support, and challenge age-related stigma. This will include the development of an Age friendly identity that can bring the work of the council and our partners together.

  • Endorsed the use of the Age-Friendly budget to support engagement activities and events that strengthen the Age-friendly initiative. This will include resourcing participation and delivering events and activities that connect older people to services and opportunities.

  • Endorsed the allocation of project management resource from the council's Change Team to help drive the work forward over the next 12 months.

  • Noted that all funding decisions are from current budgets within the Community Engagement and Change Business Units within the Strategy and Communities department.