Centre for Challenge Prizes

Our Ageing Well Future

Tris Dyson - 20.02.2013

The rise in our ageing population is one of the most significant social challenges we face. By 2025, half the UK adult population will be aged 50 or over. This profound demographic shift will increase the numbers of people affected by social isolation and ill health.

There are however also reasons to be optimistic about what the future might hold for our ageing population if innovators like the fantastic 'Ageing Well' challenge prize Finalists are anything to go by.

At Nesta our intention is not to fund one off local projects, but to try and support a future where high impact sustainable innovations are in every community. Let's try and imagine that future with these Finalists...

Gerald an elderly widower, lives on his own and having lost much of his sight, doesn't get out much. Gerald receives an invitation to tune into Radio Club a 'call-in' show to meet and talk with other older people. He tunes in and listens to local people chatting and sharing stories including: Matthew a fellow Villa fan and Sarah who is looking for help with her crossword. Next week Gerald calls in to discuss Darren Bent's injury with Matthew and to help Sarah - he is however somewhat outdone by the crossword abilities of Philip a retired lawyer, who tells them fascinating stories about his experiences as a gay man in the 1960s

They hit it off, and Sarah suggests they meet at the Nana café where she works with other older ladies. Philip has been to community cafes before and has some reservations, but on arrival he is immediately struck by the buzz and mix of people of all ages and by the brioche and coffee that is so good he doesn't mind the discussion about football. Sarah finally manages to hang up her apron and join them - she tells them how lonely she had been until she started at the Café firstly as a volunteer and now earning some of the profits to treat her grandchildren

This is familiar to Matthew who started volunteering with Tools Company, which he loves because he gets to repair broken trade tools for charities. He's made a lot of mates, although none are Villa fans. Gerald, it turns out used to be a tradesman, but having lost most of his sight he now has difficulty repairing anything. Matthew knows of another visually impaired chap who goes along with the help of a buddy and he'd be keen to do this with Gerald if he'd be happy to share his know-how. This sounds like music to Gerald's ears

Philip appreciates the frustration, since retirement, he's felt very isolated as an elderly gay man and he is also perturbed by the lack of useful things to do. Sarah thinks the Nana café has got a leaflet about that and she goes off to find it, returning with information on a scheme run by Stonewall Housing, asking for volunteers to help isolated, older LGBT people with small day-to-day tasks such as changing a light bulb or walking the dog

Philip pays a visit to stonewall and meets a man who tells him about George - an 80 year old gay man who lives on the local estate and who has difficulty walking his dog, not least because there are sometimes local kids in the park who throw homophobic insults at him. Philip is eager to help and reckons the answer would be to accompany George on his walks and also suggest he joins the radio club which is perfect if you have difficulty getting out. He also wonders why there isn't something better for these kids to be doing. The man agrees and tells him about a new 'task force' of recently retired professionals that have been meeting to plan and campaign for a community enterprise to provide activities for local kids

If there's one thing Philip is good at its framing a good argument, so he goes along to the next meeting and is amazed by the experience and quality of people in the room and enjoys the informal but familiarly professional context in which they work through the problems and agenda, almost as much in fact as he enjoys having a pint or two with them afterwards

The Ageing Well Challenge Prize Finalists were chosen from an original shortlist of 24 remarkable innovations. Each of the five finalists will receive funding of up to £10,000 and support to set up and test their innovations over the next six months. The idea that demonstrates the most success will be awarded the £50,000 prize.

To find out more about these and other challenge prize Finalists please check out the Giving Challenges or to find out why we think challenge prizes are going to be big this year see our predictions for 2013.

@trisdyson