The Third Age Foundation

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Third Age Foundation
Summerhill
County Meath
ph: +353 (0)46 9557766
email: info@thirdagefoundation.ie

The Third Age Foundation, based in Summerhill County Meath, Ireland is an older people's organisation, run by older people for older people.

The Third Age Foundation empowers and enables its members, presenting new ideas, opening up new possibilities.

Everyone is welcome at the Third Age Foundation - members are not asked for a birth certificate, an address or a country of origin - but organise and take part in intergenerational and intercultural projects, partnership projects with a local long-stay residential care facility and a local Traveller group, lifelong learning, drama, IT, health and fitness project, Failte Isteach Project... the list is endless.

Aims and Objectives

In all the activities we undertake, we seek to:

* Help protect the rights of older people by providing information and accessing new ideas so that older people can make a positive difference to themselves and their community
* Enable older people to have a voice and to act as an advocate for other older people where necessary
* Support older people to enjoy their older years by encouraging them to remain active, stimulated, and interested in life-long learning and community service
* Avoid the potential isolation of living alone or living in a rural environment by creating a sense of belonging and encouraging older people to look out for each other and create their own “social extended family”
* Dispel myths and stereotypes about older people by showing their continued lust for life and by having loads of fun with lots of new friends
* Promote the physical and social well being of older people by engaging them in a never-ending contact process that provides practical and emotional support appropriate to the current needs of older people

Ethos

Third Age Foundation has a vast range of activities and contacts and all are under-pinned by the following core ideas:

* Older people are a diverse group with different needs and abilities and from varied backgrounds and experiences; we celebrate this diversity and constantly find ways to engage with all older people. We also acknowledge that people’s circumstances change and we continually develop services as new needs emerge.
* All activities are designed in consultation with older people. The choice remains with older people. Activities are organised in an informal, relaxed setting and learning is offered on “a need-to-know basis” and at the pace of the older people involved.
* Equal attention is given to the support and development needs of older people and to seeking out opportunities for older people to offer their skills and wisdom to support the development needs of others.
* We give particular attention to working in collaboration across cultures, generations, and varied interests. We see this as a means of developing new ideas and spreading resources in a more effective way. We work locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
* Our members are encouraged to help themselves, have fun and not get too regimented. We promote creativity and seek to redress the lack of opportunity that people may have experienced earlier in life.

Our Mission Statement

* To provide a medium through which the abilities, skills and experience of our members can find expression
* To interface with the statutory and commercial sectors and develop a more holistic response to the needs of older people.
* To integrate and harmonise all elements across the social spectrum and increase the vibrancy and quality of life in our village
* To harness, stimulate and continue to revitalise the resource that older people represent
* To have a ball !

© 2009 Third Age Foundation