Hourglass CEO - Welcome to Safer Ageing Week 2023

By Richard Robinson

Chief Executive

16th April 2024

2 min read

Safer Ageing Week (SAW) is ten days of launches, research, policy papers and campaigns that remind us all of the importance of growing old safely and supporting a safer ageing agenda. But it is so much more too.

In this, the fourth year, we are revealing two Safer Ageing Indexes – for Wales and Greater London – hot on the heels of the ground breaking index for Northern Ireland. These reports will underline not only where it is safest to grow old, what measures each area/borough are adopting and key statistics – but they are also paving a way for the growth of a Safer Ageing Society.

The theme of Safer Ageing Week 2023 is ALONE VOICE. As Hourglass remains the only organisation that stands up for and supports older victim-survivors but also the voice of the older person is sadly all-too-often an isolated and barely considered one.

ALONE VOICE elevates the voice of older victim-survivors and urges the public, influencers and decision-makers to start to listen harder and more responsibly. Safer Ageing Week shouldn’t be a rallying cry – but with every year of this week-long campaign our voices need to be louder.

Hourglass also launches a key policy paper on the ongoing lack of vital data coming from Scotland, the charity recognises its 30th anniversary and rolls out a series of messages from politicians and other influencers.

The charity continues to build vital links. The Safer Ageing Indexes were funded by The Hallmark Foundation, we continue to work closely with Age UK and we are building more and more collaborations across the board. However, the charity is also proud to be announcing a new service for Wales – which is a Community Response Hub with a specialism on Financial or Economic Abuse. This is thanks to funding from the Community Fund for Wales. The hub will be the subject of a great deal of cross-working and the building of new coalitions to ensure this growth of economic abuse against older people is better understood and stopped in its tracks.

However, in the background of all campaigns is the need to fundraise and SAW is no different. The charity is urging those keen to support the charity to make a donation by texting SAFER to 70460 to donate £10. Texts cost £10 plus one standard rate message and you’ll be opting in to hear more about our work and fundraising via telephone and SMS. If you’d like to give £10 but do not wish to receive marketing communications, text SAFERNOINFO to 70460.

You can support us on social media by downloading the Safer Ageing Week supporter pack here