A Letter From the EO - New Beginnings and Age Without Limits

Dear EC Members,

I hope you’re keeping well and enjoying the longer days as we head towards summer.

I am three months into the role as Executive Officer of the Elders Council, and it has been a busy time behind the scenes, with lots happening across our Connect, Activate, and Influence areas of work. I wanted to share a few of the recent highlights, some big, some small, but all meaningful, nonetheless.

My article in the Echo Magazine.

As I’m sure you are aware, the latest edition of our magazine is out and it is full of wonderful articles, written for our members, by our members. I’ve written a piece (introducing myself) for this issue too, so if you fancy it, have a read when you get a chance!

Staff and volunteers getting stuck in on magazine mailing day.

Huge thanks to the comms team for pulling the magazine together, and to everyone who supported the Magazine Mailing Day. These moments of coming together are a lovely opportunity to meet new people and catch up with friends.

It was also great to see the EC Rider officially launched at the Jesmond Wellbeing group. If you’ve not come across it yet, it’s a friendly and accessible guide to getting around the North-East using your bus pass. As always, it has been well received, and we hope it’ll be a useful resource to help members stay active and connected. Thanks to everyone involved in putting that together too!

Our Ageing with Purpose course finished a few months back. If you have not heard of it, it is an 8-week course that helps activate members with the aim of them learning new useful, transferable skills that will come in handy for things like volunteering. Our graduates recently had a reunion, and it was such a joy to hear how the course has helped them to get involved with the Elders Council and with other projects across the city.

Some have been taking part in digital skills sessions and have also joined our new Social Media Group, which is launching at the end of May. This group will be focused on creating informative and educational posts for our Facebook page to make it more interesting and engaging.

These ripples of activity show just how much energy, creativity and leadership lives within this community.

Barbara Douglas speaking at the Jesmond Wellbeing group about the EC Rider.

Recently, I attended a Creative Ageing Symposium, at the Dukes Theatre in Lancaster, and I am inspired and full of ideas and inspiration of new things we can bring to Newcastle. I will share some of these gems in my next letter.

Overall, we have been focusing on making sure the voices of older people are being heard, strengthening how we share our impact, legacy and effect change.

Coming up soon is Age Without Limits Day, and we’re planning a special creative session to mark the occasion (on Tuesday 10th June 2025).

The official Age Without Limits Day is Wednesday 11th June 2025. Some people will be wearing badges to proudly display their age and others will be using it as an opportunity to start conversations about ageism. Do you have any plans of what you could do to mark the occasion?

Age Without Limits Day is a brilliant opportunity to help shift the narrative around ageing. It’s also a great chance to champion a more age-friendly Newcastle.

Thank you, sincerely, for being part of the Elders Council and to all those who tirelessly give their time to volunteer and help support our mission. Whether you're contributing to a project, sharing your thoughts, attending an event, or simply reading along with us, you’re helping to build a stronger, more connected community.

I will write again in a few weeks and tell you more about the Creative Ageing Symposium and what our RIG group have been up to.

Warmest regards,

Victoria

Executive Officer

Elders Council of Newcastle