South Lanarkshire Council has been officially recognised as the first age-friendly community in Scotland.
Earlier this year, councillors agreed to formally put in writing a plan to become an age-friendly community after being updated on the work undertaken by the Seniors Together group.
The certificate from the World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially been granted to the council and certifies the local authority’s commitment to becoming age friendly.
The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.
Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.
The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.
Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android
Seniors Together bosses are highlighting how significant the certificate is for the council.
Chair of Seniors Together, Catriona Mason, said: “Receiving this certificate means we are now recognised by WHO as an Age Friendly Community.
“It is recognition of the hard work that has been done to get to this stage. Of course, the hard work continues, and we are determined to ensure our communities continue to be great places to grow older.”
Vice-chair of Seniors Together, Colin Angus, added: “Ageism is the most prevalent form of discrimination in the UK so the development of an Age Friendly Community means that the council and its partners will work with older people rather than for them to design services and facilities that best suits their needs and aspirations.”
In order to create an age-friendly community, the council will adopt ideas such as ‘liveable neighbourhoods’ which will limit traffic and create more spaces for neighbours to sit and children to play.
As well as this, ‘fifteen-minute neighbourhoods’ will also be created to ensure that residents can access daily needs within a safe short walk.
These ideas are in line with WHO’s identified features of age-friendly communities.
*Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head on over and give us a like and share!
