pioneering work 80 years of Celebrating

On 22nd January a meeting took place in Edinburgh to address issues affecting older people in Scotland. Among the areas of concern were a lack of adequate housing, hidden poverty and loneliness.

Although the issues might sound current, that meeting was the inaugural gathering of the Scottish Old People’s Welfare Committee (SOPWC) and took place in 1943. The SOPWC brought together a range of national voluntary sector and charitable organisations concerned with the welfare of older people, working with local branches in Edinburgh, Dundee and Peebles.

It can be seen as the earliest incarnation of Age Scotland, now Scotland’s national charity for older people. This year, as we celebrate 80 years of Age Scotland and all its predecessors, let’s take a look at how we got here.

Advancing later life in Scotland

Back in 1943, Britain was at war. Food and clothes were rationed, there was no state pension and the NHS did not yet exist. Support for older people came from local groups of volunteers. Eight decades later, Age Scotland member groups continue that invaluable work.

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The first meeting of SOPWC led to initiatives including Meals on Wheels, home help and visiting schemes, the precursors of today’s befriending services.

By the late 1940s, SOPWC was making a name for itself with public events, conferences and broadcasts. It was a step on the road to advocating for older people and making sure their voices were heard in post-war Scotland.

At the start of the 1950s, there was a huge growth in the number of older people’s organisations, with 156 registered by 1954. The expansion of groups and services proved there was a need to support older people.

The 1960s saw a further expansion of older people’s clubs. The groundbreaking Crafts and Hobbies Centre for retired men in Glasgow provided opportunities for company and new interests. Today, Men’s Sheds continue the tradition of fellowship and craftsmanship.

In 1971, SOPWC became the Scottish Old People’s Welfare Council, an independent charity. After much discussion the council settled on the name Age Concern Scotland and in 1973 appointed its first director –George Foulkes, later Lord Foulkes, who returned to Age Scotland as chairman four decades later.

Age Concern Scotland campaigned on behalf of older people on a range of issues including the restoration of the Death Grant, improvements in sheltered housing and raising awareness of benefits - work that is as important today as it was in the 1970s. In the 1980s, Age Concern

Scotland lifted the taboo on dementia, holding a conference which led to the creation of Scottish Action on Dementia.

In 1995, the charity published a Bill of Rights to encourage Scotland’s 32 new councils to be aware of the needs of older people and to highlight the important contribution older people make to the delivery of local services.

Old age in a new world

The dawn of a new millennium saw Age Concern Scotland offer training, including computer training for older people wanting to use the internet and email. In 2009, the first Scottish Older People’s Assembly was held and later that year Age Concern Scotland and Help the Aged came together to form a new charity dedicated to improving the lives of older people. It was called Age Scotland.

In 2011, Age Scotland launched a free helpline offering advice, information and friendship. The following years saw a surge in member groups, the first Walking Football game and an arts festival organised by Luminate, Scotland’s creative ageing organisation.

It was a period of growth, until the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020. Older people were disproportionately affected by the virus and Age Scotland met the unprecedented challenges of lockdown, shielding and isolation head-on. The helpline became a lifeline for older people, their families and carers.

Now, at the start of 2023, we’re in a new era. Member groups are meeting face to face again and our diversity and inclusion work is expanding. Age Scotland recently launched an older people’s LGBTQ+ network, to amplify the voices of LGBTQ+ people over 50 across Scotland.

We’re enormously proud of the work Age Scotland does, and grateful to the pioneers who started the ball rolling eight decades ago. We’re still campaigning for suitable housing for older people, supporting older people living in poverty, and tackling loneliness, along with the many other strands of our work to make Scotland a better place to grow older.