Celebrating Healthy Ageing at the Age Well Festival
Organised in partnership with Haringey Council, Public Voice, Haringey Reach and Connect, and a host of creative and voluntary sector organisations, the festival delivered a fun array of activities that celebrated older communities while raising awareness about healthy aging.
A Day of Connection and Celebration
Starting from 12 PM, the festival featured creative and wellness activities, live music, dancing, and performances. It offered older adults an opportunity to challenge ageist stereotypes, embrace healthy lifestyle choices, and connect with services and programs that promote well-being. The Age Well Festival made a bold visual statement about the value and importance of older residents in the community.
Raising Awareness and Promoting Positive Change
In the lead-up to this inaugural festival, Haringey Reach and Connect raised awareness about the benefits of positive lifestyle changes for older adults. Their goal was to promote a wide range of services and activities that enhance health outcomes and well-being for older residents, especially those at risk of long-term health conditions.
A significant focus of the festival was on reducing health disparities in Haringey, particularly in the eastern parts of the borough where communities are more diverse and face higher rates of conditions like diabetes and hypertension. The 2023 Haringey Public Health Report highlighted these disparities, revealing that communities in the east had the highest diagnosed rates of diabetes (8.4%) and hypertension (12.6%), both well above the GP Federation averages.
Bridging the Health Gap
In collaboration with the Haringey GP Federation Health Inequalities Team, Reach and Connect took the message of healthy aging directly into these communities. By listening to residents and understanding the barriers they faced, the partnership sought to address the health gap and encourage engagement with wellness services.
The festival offered workshops, health screenings, and educational opportunities, giving residents access to essential information about services that could support their well-being.
Too Many To Thank
Polly Frayne, Programme Manager at Public Voice, said:
"It’s been a privilege to work in partnership with Haringey Council, the NHS North Central London Integrated Care Board, and so many wonderful local organisations and residents towards delivering Haringey’s first Age Well Festival. I’m especially proud of our Reach and Connect Team, who were integral from the idea's inception to the festival's successful delivery.
“The idea originated from the Reach and Connect team’s ambition to build on the momentum created by the Connection Matters Conference, which took place last year. Their goal was to raise the profile of older people and help create a more informed older community. We joined forces with Old Alone UK, who aimed to deliver a joyful, accessible event for our older residents with a Latin American Fiesta theme. The final piece of the puzzle was our collaboration with Haringey People Need Parks, which provided us with the wonderful venue at Bruce Castle Park. After that, the project took on a life of its own. So many organisations, too numerous to mention, contributed their time, enthusiasm, and expertise to making it happen.
“What can I say? We were thrilled—and relieved—to have the last of the summer sun on the day of the festival, along with a fantastic turnout. I can only express my thanks by reflecting on the feedback we've received, words such as ‘joyous’, ‘engaging’, ‘celebratory’, ‘community-focused', and many more. It was a well-deserved description of this incredible community collaboration."
