Older people are often spoken about as recipients of support, but they are also campaigners, volunteers, community leaders, and advocates. Older people play a vital role in society, but can be overlooked by decision makers and excluded from public life, which can result in loneliness and social isolation, and decisions made about them, but not with them in mind.

Research from our ‘We’re Still Here’ insight summary found that almost half (48%) of older people aged 75 and over had taken part in some form of civic participation in the previous year, a higher rate than the national average, and 10% of respondents had attended a public meeting, rally, or taken part in a public demonstration or protest. The study also found that 9% held a local leadership or decision-making role and those engaging in civic activities were more likely to feel represented and able to influence decisions.

These findings challenge the stereotype that older people are passive recipients of services. Instead, they show a strong desire to remain involved in shaping communities and influencing issues that affect society, and the communities they are part of.

However, the research highlights a more challenging reality: more than half described being excluded from participating in civic activities due to accessibility issues or because of broader marginalisation of older people in public life. The study found that many older people lacked faith in their ability to influence decision-makers, stating they felt poorly valued by society, and that they are often overlooked.

More recently, older members of the Re-engage research group have interviewed their peers, gathering insights for our Care on Hold campaign, to support the message that no older person should have their medical care put on hold because of the digitalisation of GP booking systems and processes.

Contributing to society can reduce isolation, strengthen confidence, and help older people remain connected to their communities. Barriers such as digital exclusion, poor public transport, accessibility issues, and few services designed with older people in mind, prevent older people from participating in civic activities and can leave them excluded from being involved in communities around them. Our activity groups across the UK welcome people aged 75 and older to take part in a social session, sometimes exercise-based, other times it could be board games, or simply an opportunity to chat over a warm drink; these groups grow to reflect the interests of those who attend, giving them ownership and an opportunity to influence and make decisions about how they spend their time. Every time a Call Companion volunteer chats to the older person they call, asks them about their experiences or their opinion, it creates an opportunity for them to be heard, for their perspective to be considered, for their thoughts or feelings to be validated.

Having a voice matters. Older people should be recognised not only for their historical contributions, but for the role they continue to play today. That’s why Re-engage is dedicated to ensuring older people have opportunities to contribute to the development of our services, research, policy work, and campaigning, ensuring opportunities are readily available to participate, influence, and - most importantly - be heard.

If we want stronger, more inclusive communities, we must recognise that older people are not passive recipients of support. We must also remove barriers to participation and ensure all voices are heard. Re-engage believes that when society turns down the volume on older people’s experiences, insights, and ambitions, everyone loses out. That’s why we’re committed to turning the volume up, ensuring older people are heard, valued, connected to their communities and able to shape the important decisions that affect their lives and communities.