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Developing Countries

What is the programme about?

The Ageing & Development programme works to raise awareness in Ireland of issues facing older people in developing countries, such income insecurity, access to pensions and social protection, access to health care, age discrimination and the inclusion of older people policies and programmes.

We aim to increase public understanding of global ageing issues and raise awareness of the role of Ireland’s overseas development assistance in addressing these challenges.

We strive to build public solidarity with older people in developing countries by giving them a voice to share their own stories.

In particular, we work by building on Age Action’s strong track-record of public engagement and advocacy through engaging in campaigns, outreach, traditional and new media.

The programme is funded by Irish Aid and we partner with HelpAge International.

Ageing & Development funding

Why do we work on this?

The world’s population is ageing and this is happening more quickly in developing countries. By 2050, nearly one in five people in developing countries will be over 60. Population ageing transforms economies and societies, and developing countries have less time to adjust to the consequences.

Ireland’s overseas development assistance is helping partner countries prepare for the impact of this demographic change.

It is vital to include older women and men The Sustainable Development Goals recognise the vital importance of for achieving sustainable development. 

For further information download the Ageing and Development programme brochure (link below).

Age Action Awarded Investing In Volunteers National Quality Standard

Age Action is delighted to announce that we have been awarded the Investing in Volunteers quality standard. Investing in Volunteers (IiV) is the national quality standard for good practice in volunteer management in Ireland.

The Investing in Volunteers standard assesses the organisation’s volunteering programme in six areas: vision for volunteering, planning for volunteers, volunteer inclusion, recruiting and welcoming volunteers, supporting volunteers, and valuing and developing volunteers. As part of the process, we completed a self-assessment of our volunteering programme, and with the assistance of an Investing in Volunteers mentor, we then put together an improvement plan. Over the course of the assessment forty of our volunteers were interviewed as well as staff and board members.

Every year, hundreds of people volunteer with Age Action in our Getting Started digital literacy programme, and with our Care and Repair DIY Service. We would like to thank all of our wonderful volunteers who bring their time, energy and skills to Age Action and are the reason that our volunteering programme is so impactful. Volunteers are at the heart of our programmes and services at Age Action and without our volunteers we couldn’t fulfil our mission to support older people to live full and independent lives. Achieving the Investing in Volunteers quality standard shows our commitment to providing an experience that reflects how much we value our volunteers.

Here’s what some of our Volunteers said as part of the process:

‘I’ve gained a lot of skills from volunteering.  It has built my confidence in teamworking and communication.’

‘It keeps me active being able to help people and improve their quality of life’. 

‘I think they’ve got it just right with the amount of information to keep you in touch.  The monthly newsletter let’s you see what’s going on”.

“Emails keep you informed.  They are very willing to take suggestions on board, they encourage you to give them feedback’.

Going through the Investing in Volunteers process has helped us to review and improve our volunteering programme in its entirety, from how we recruit, train and support volunteers, to how we communicate with and involve our volunteers at all levels of the organisation. As we celebrate achieving the standard, we reiterate our commitment to providing the best possible volunteering experience for our volunteers who make an incredible difference in the lives of those older people we serve.