5 June 2007
Talkin 'bout my generation
An unlikely pop group, The Zimmers, have hammered home a message about the extraordinary isolation and deprivation faced by older people in this country. The oldest band in the world released a single last month and 'Talkin 'bout my generation' has soared up the pop charts and become a huge hit on YouTube and MySpace.
Fans of the group may be interested in supporting charities that are helping older people to build more active, healthier lives.
Magic Me, for example, is one of the excellent older people’s charities recommended by NPC. It runs innovative arts projects to help break down barriers in Tower Hamlets, east London.
‘We had lots of laughs but there was a serious side too because we learned from each other,’ said one older participant in a Magic Me workshop. The charity also produces how-to guides to help other organisations bridge the generation gap.
Growing old gracefully, not
Magic Me is highlighted in Grey matters, NPC's research report on growing older in deprived areas. The research shows that:
- the poorest older people in the UK can expect to live almost ten years less than the richest 10%
- more than one in five older people lives in poverty and struggles to pay for basics, such as heating and groceries
- one in six older people goes a whole week with no contact from friends, families and neighbours and around 50% never join in community activities.
Alfie Carretta is The Zimmers' star soloist. 'Old people in this country are just brushed to one side, like rubbish, past our sell-by date,' he says. 'I'm one of the lucky ones, I'm mobile, I can get to bingo, I've got lots of friends and the boy next door looks in on me every day.'
If you're thinking about downloading the new single you might also consider downloading information about the charities that are reaching out to people in Alfie's generation.
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