Age Friendly City Newcastle
.jpg)
Newcastle is working towards becoming a truly Age Friendly City, a place where people can live well, participate fully, and feel valued at every stage of life. Ageing affects all of us, and creating the right conditions for later life benefits the whole community.
​
What Is Age Friendly Newcastle?
The Age Friendly Newcastle Group is a citywide partnership established in 2014 when Newcastle joined the WHO Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities & Communities
https://extranet.who.int/agefriendlyworld/who-network/
​
It brings together organisations from across the public, private, academic and voluntary sectors, all committed to improving the experience of growing older in Newcastle.
​
The group does not deliver services directly. Instead, it plays a strategic role by:
-
Bringing partners together
-
Sharing insight, research and evidence
-
Influencing decisions and policy
-
Challenging ageism
-
Raising awareness
-
Celebrating progress across the city
​
This collective approach ensures that ageing well remains a shared responsibility across Newcastle.
​
We are also members of the UK network of Age Friendly cites attending regular meetings and events to share and learn and contribute to influencing policy at a national level.
​
Our Approach
Newcastle has taken a distinctive approach to becoming age friendly. While many cities follow the WHO’s “eight petal” model, we focus on the wider determinants of health – the real-world conditions that shape how people live, work, connect and grow as they age.
​
The group works across six key areas:
-
How we work – employment, volunteering, purpose, digital confidence and tackling ageism
-
Money in our pockets – poverty, fuel costs, benefits, advice and financial security
-
Where we live – housing quality, accessibility, adaptations and safety
-
Community – supportive relationships, neighbourhoods and local amenities
-
Environment – green spaces, sustainability and mobility
-
Learning and growing – lifelong learning, arts, culture, curiosity and connection
​
These building blocks shape the city’s Age Friendly Newcastle Action Plan 2025–26 and guide partners in taking meaningful action.
​
Our Aims
Older people are at the heart of the group’s work. Decisions are shaped by lived experience, and older residents help design the solutions that affect their lives. The group ensures that older people are not simply consulted – they are active partners, co-creators and advocates in shaping an Age Friendly Newcastle.
Why Age Friendly Newcastle Matters
​
Newcastle, like the rest of the UK, is experiencing a shift in population. People are living longer, but too many spend their later years in poor health, financial insecurity or social isolation.
​
The Age Friendly Newcastle partnership helps the city respond by:
-
Challenging outdated attitudes to ageing
-
Improving opportunities for work, volunteering and lifelong learning
-
Ensuring homes support ageing well
-
Strengthening neighbourhoods and community connections
-
Improving access to green spaces and safe mobility
-
Addressing poverty and inequalities that affect older residents
​
By working together, the group helps build a city where ageing is not feared, but supported, celebrated and embraced.
​
Get Involved
The Age Friendly Newcastle Group works through partnership. We have 4 in person meetings a year focussing on one of our key areas as well as working together on priority topics, e.g. to provide responses to key policy changes.
​
If you represent an organisation, service or community group and would like to contribute, get in touch to find out how you can join the network and help make Newcastle a great place to grow older.
Together, we can make an age-proud Newcastle, where everyone can age well.
​
​