The IncludeAge Project - Inclusion of diverse older people in community and public places and virtual spaces

IncludeAge Standard Newsletter:
Issue 7 - October 2024

Welcome to our monthly IncludeAge Newsletter!

You can now listen to this Newsletter on our YouTube channel HERE 

News Updates & Celebrations

New Article Under Review

An article on using creative writing to support transdisciplinarity has been submitted for review to Qualitative Inquiry. The article looks at how members of IncludeAge build inclusion in the project by designing and facilitating a collaborative auto/biography poetry activity for transdisciplinary team members. You can read the poem HERE

Life Course Interview Update

We have now completed over 80 Life Course interviews. This was the first phase of data generation in the project. The analysis of this data is well under way with some of our co-researchers also taking part in analysis. We shared some early analysis of these interviews in our Project Steering Group meeting this week.

Place Study Update

Data from our Place Study (our second phase of data generation) has begun to come in, and we have sent out 32 tablets so far. It is really exciting to see participants using the tablets to record their experiences of inclusion in both physical and virtual spaces. We will have a workshop to begin analysis of this data in November.

Social Network Analysis and Organisational Interviews Update

We now have full ethical approval for our Organisational Interviews, and for our Social Network Analysis phases of data generation. The first organisational interviews are already underway, with 16 interviews including a library, cafe, police and an inclusion group already completed. The IncludeAge Project is a very busy place this month!

Workshop Plans for 2025

Plans for workshops in Scotland and England early next year are underway. These will be aimed at discussing different perspectives on inclusion, deciding on and prioritising actions needed to improve inclusion. 

Outreach

Joe Visited Skye

Joe returned to Skye for a second visit to deliver tablets to 4 people who have learning disabilities so that they can take part in the Place Study. This is a very remote location and will add to the depth of data that we are generating. 

Judith Attended the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Older People, Age & Ageing

In September Judith attended the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Older People, Age & Ageing. She talked about the need for joined up policy across housing, health and social care to enable more older people from all walks of life to be supported and included in their communities to live the best quality of life that is possible.

People from a range of different third sector, government, public service organisations and older people's groups attended. There was a commitment to officially write to the Scottish Parliament and Westminster to listen more to the voices of older people and challenge the policy on winter fuel allowance. Judith has been invited to present on the IncludeAge project at the next meeting. 

Judith and Laura Spoke at the Older People's Strategic Action Group

Judith and Laura were invited to speak about IncludeAge at the Older People’s Strategic Action Forum. The group is made up of organisations and charities who work with older people, and provides advice and feedback on policy to the Scottish Government. The group were very supportive of the research, which sparked discussions around building intergenerational communities, as well as the importance of creating specific policies for marginalised groups. 

Judith, Laura and Joe to Meet with Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland

Judith, Laura and Joe have an upcoming meeting with representatives of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland to look at ways to connect with the project and the wider community.

Kathryn and Richard Presented on IncludeAge in Portugal

Kathryn and Richard presented a paper at the 1st International Forum on LGBTQI+ Ageing in Southern Europe at the University of Coimbra in September. The title of their paper was ‘Anywhere that looks friendly’: Multifaceted aspects of finding LGBT+ friendly spaces and places across the life course. 

New Resources

You can now Hear this Newsletter! 

Project Co-Lead Mei has recorded a video of this newsletter, which can be accessed through our YouTube channel HERE

Remember you can also see what else is on our YouTube channel HERE

And you can always catch up with us too, on our website HERE

New Report of Interest

IndependentAge have just published a report on the experiences of older people living in the private rental sector. For anyone interested in this, please find the report HERE

Our Project Outputs

We are sharing project outputs over the course of the project on our Project Outputs page. New resources will be shared in our newsletter each month. 

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