Horncastle to be part of Age-Friendly pilot project with launch of business award scheme
Businesses will be encouraged to help make the town even more inclusive for older residents
A pilot project aims to establish Horncastle as East Lindsey's first Age-Friendly town, with a new business award scheme and a range of community initiatives designed to make the town even more accessible for older residents.
East Lindsey District Council and Horncastle Town Council are working in partnership on the pilot project.
East Lindsey has been recognised as an Age-Friendly Community since 2019, when the district council joined the UK Network of Age Friendly Communities. This commitment helps ensure that older residents can lead healthy, active and independent lives, participate in local activities and continue contributing to their communities for as long as possible.
Following an assessment of six locations across the district, Horncastle was identified by the council as the strongest candidate for the pilot scheme due to its existing age-friendly qualities.
The project aims to build on these strengths and support Horncastle Town Council in gaining recognition as an Age-Friendly Community in its own right. Working together, the two councils will explore ways to make the town even more inclusive for older residents.
As part of the pilot, East Lindsey District Council's Healthy Communities and Place teams are developing an Age-Friendly Business Award Scheme for local businesses, launching this autumn.
The scheme will encourage organisations to adopt age-friendly practices and sign up to the Age-Friendly Employer Pledge. Businesses will be able to work towards recognition using the Centre for Ageing Better's Age-Friendly Business Framework.
The Framework is based on five key principles:
Your People - Age-inclusive employment practices, training and awareness, challenging age-related stereotypes, empowering staff of all ages and creating a positive and supportive workplace culture.
Your Premises - Accessible layouts and entrances, appropriate furniture and facilities, consideration of lighting, noise and other sensory factors, health and safety and easy and welcoming customer interactions.
Your Communications - Easy-to-find information, clear language and readable formats, effective signs and labels, positive representation of older people, accessible communication channels.
Your Offer - Providing customer choice, age-friendly products and services, listening to feedback and making improvements, incentives and innovation, meeting the needs of a diverse customer base.
Your Place in the Community - Understanding local community needs, encouraging social connections, building partnerships and collaboration, community engagement and support.
Alongside the business award scheme, a number of other initiatives working with the town council, local groups and businesses could be introduced to help make Horncastle more age-friendly.
These could be anything from developing chatty cafés to reduce loneliness and encourage social connections, increasing the availability of seating in public spaces and within businesses and supporting residents to become Ageing Well Ambassadors, helping to raise awareness and advocate for age-friendly approaches among family, friends and the wider community.
Monthly age-friendly drop-ins will also be taking place at Horncastle Library, starting on Thursday, September 10 from 10am-12noon. The October session will be on Thursday, October 8 from 10am-12noon.
The drop ins are an opportunity for residents and business representatives to share their views and ask questions.
Councillor William Gray, East Lindsey District Council's Portfolio Holder for Communities and Better Ageing, said: "Horncastle already has many strengths that make it a great place to grow older, and this initiative will help us build on those qualities as we support Horncastle Town Council achieve Age-Friendly status for the town.
"The town's independent businesses play a vital role in supporting older residents, and the new award scheme will help them further develop age-friendly practices that benefit customers of all ages.
"Horncastle has enormous potential to become a leading age-friendly town, and I look forward to seeing new schemes, partnerships and initiatives develop to make the town an even better place to live, work and visit."
Councillor Fiona Martin, Chairman and Mayor of Horncastle Town Council, said: "Horncastle is a welcoming and close-knit community with a strong network of local businesses, community groups and volunteers who already do so much to support people of all ages.
"This project will help us build on that success, encouraging even more opportunities for older residents. We look forward to working with local businesses, organisations and residents to help make Horncastle an even more inclusive and accessible town for everyone."
If any businesses would like more information on becoming Age-Friendly or want to find out more about the award scheme, contact Jane Berni, Ageing Well Communities Team Leader at East Lindsey District Council, [email protected] or call 07584 202220.
Any parish or town councils interested in becoming Age-Friendly can find out more in The Centre for Ageing Better Town and Parish guide: https://ageing-better.org.uk/resources/age-friendly-town-and-parish-guide