Age-friendly Belfast

Age Friendly Belfast

We want Belfast to be a great place to grow older. By working in partnership with others, we can help older people in Belfast live happier, healthier, and more connected lives.

We are part of the Healthy Ageing Strategic Partnership, a group of organisations leading on age-friendly work across Belfast city.

Belfast became the first council in Northern Ireland to commit to becoming an Age Friendly City. The city became a member of the World Health Organisation’s Global Network of Age Friendly Cities in 2012.

Age Friendly cities create an inclusive and accessible urban environment that promotes active ageing and designs its structures and services to meet the needs of older people with a wide range of abilities.

Being an age friendly city means helping older people live independent lives by maintaining their physical and mental health. Such measures are cost effective as they can contain growing health and care costs.

Age friendly cities benefit everyone – the generations of today and tomorrow.  

Age Friendly Belfast Plan 2023-2027

We have talked to older people all over the city about what is important for them.

This plan focuses on supporting those specific groups of older people who are more vulnerable to losing social connections, or whose physical activity levels are below what is recommended for good health and wellbeing and who face additional challenges in keeping strong and active.

The following four areas have been highlighted as the main themes of the plan:

• Infrastructure
  This includes helping older people to get out and about, ensuring age-friendly design, consultation with older people in new developments and that amenities and services are accessible.
• Social inclusion
  This includes helping older people meet up with others, providing events and activities across Belfast city including tea dances, walking groups and strength and balance classes.
• Health and wellbeing
  This includes organising health fairs and physical activity programmes to help older people find out about local services and keep active
• Financial security
  This includes supporting people to manage the increasing costs of living, sharing employment opportunities, providing access to benefits and entitlements and offering protection from frauds or scams.

Our Age Friendly Plan for Belfast is published online.

We screened the plan for equality impacts and completed a rural needs impact assessment. You can read these reports online.

• Equality screening outcome report: Age Friendly Belfast Plan 2023-2027
• Rural Needs Impact Assessment: Age Friendly Belfast Plan 2023-2027

Have your say: Greater Belfast Seniors Forum

We want to make sure the needs of older people are considered and that older people's voices and lived experiences are heard. That’s why we support six older people's forums operating across Belfast, known as the Greater Belfast Seniors Forum.

Each forum is made up of older volunteers who meet once a month to look at issues affecting older people in their area and take part in training and workshops.

The group also attend trips and outings, offering a great way to get active and make a difference.

To find out more, contact a group near you.

Get in touch

Connection Hub for older people in Belfast

A connection hub for older people is open on Tuesdays in 2 Royal Avenue. It is a place to meet, chat and find out about events and services.