About LOPF
Leeds Older People’s Forum (LOPF) was established in March 1994.
It aims to promote the wellbeing of all older people in the city of Leeds.
The forum gives a more powerful voice to older people in shaping their city for the benefit of all its citizens.
Membership
Leeds Older People’s Forum (LOPF) has a membership of over 80 voluntary sector organisations working with older people across Leeds. This includes over 30 Neighbourhood Network Schemes.
Our member organisations support people through a variety of different ways, including:
– Advocacy
– Befriending
– Bereavement support
– Dementia services
– Form filling
– Healthy living and wellbeing
– Home-from-hospital service
– Housing, including specialist supported housing
– Information & advice, working with many of the communities with the greatest inequalities and those who are most at risk of poor health
– Reducing social isolation
– Referrals to other organisations
– Social activities
– Support for carers
– Support visits
– Transport, including accessible transport
– Trips and outings
– Winter warmth
All member organisations provide services dedicated to older people though they are not necessarily an older people’s organisation.
The Forum supports its members and ensures the voluntary sector is involved in planning, developing and managing services for older people in Leeds.
You can search the Forum Central members directory for services here, or open a list of LOPF members here (pdf, 265KB, March 2017). For more information on joining contact us.
Leeds Older People’s Forum has several core workstreams, each with equal priority:
- Housing
- Inter-generational
- Campaigning
- International Day of Older Persons
- Neighbourhood Network Schemes
- Dementia
- Social Isolation
Housing
We’ve worked with our members and Public to produce the key foundations of a policy for Housing and Older People in Leeds. At its heart is the fundamental importance of involving older people and organisations that represent them and work with them in the development and future monitoring of the policy.
Inter-Generational
We have championed inter-generational practice, its mutual benefits to young and old, and power to create stronger communities. We believe that inter-generational work can help meet many of the city’s priorities. We recently produced a report on intergenerational work in Leeds entitled ‘Generations United in Leeds’ which can be downloaded in the Information and Resources section on this page.
Campaigning
We are actively engaged in campaigning to make Leeds a “City For All Ages.” Campaigning strands include hospital discharges, housing, making Leeds an Age and Dementia Friendly City, and LOPF’s Manifesto.
International Day of Older Persons
Each year, since 1998, Leeds has celebrated the International Day of Older People (1st October). These celebrations extend beyond that day, usually for around a week and a half through a series of community events. Many of these receive small grants of up to £200 via LOPF. The aim of IDOP is to promote the contribution older people make to the city.
Neighbourhood Network Schemes
Neighbourhood Network Schemes are community based, locally led organisations. They enable older people to live independently and pro-actively participate within their own communities. They provide services that reduce social isolation and provide opportunities for volunteering. They also act as a “gateway” to advice, information and services that promote health and wellbeing and thus improve people’s quality of life.
Dementia
The Dementia-Friendly Leeds Campaign Officer for the city works for Leeds Older People’s Forum in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society and Leeds City Council.
They run the Leeds Dementia Action Alliance and work with people living with dementia and their families and carers. They also encourage local groups and organisations to join the Alliance, and support community projects to help neighbourhoods become more ‘dementia friendly.’ For more information please visit: www.dementiaaction.org.uk/leeds
Older People news and events
Lunch Clubs Grants Open for Applications
Leeds Community Foundation, in partnership with Leeds City Council, are pleased to be offering grants to support the vital work of lunch clubs across the city. These grants are specifically for the running costs of lunch clubs and can support [...]
PSI-Volition Tenfold: we want your ideas for our new name!
As you will be aware, PSI-Volition (the physical and sensory impairment and mental health third sector forum) and Tenfold (the learning disabilities third sector forum), two of the partner organisations in Forum Central, are in the process of merging. This [...]
Together in the 2020s: twenty ideas for creating a Britain for all ages by 2030
A new report highlights twenty radical ways to create ‘a country for all ages’ by 2030, countering ageism, loneliness and poor health, care, learning and housing in divided Britain Urgent action is needed to tackle the divisions facing older and [...]
Representation
LOPF Trustees and staff are involved in many local, regional and national strategic groups which cover issues of relevance and concern to older people. We also meet regularly with local councillors, commissioners and managers from local health and social care.
Local
The Best City to Grow Older in Board
Leeds Age Friendly Partnership
- Bill Rollinson (Joint Chair)
- Rachel Cooper
- John Welham
Equalities Assembly Age Hub
Regional
Future Years (Yorkshire & Humber Forum Ageing)
- John Welham (Vice Chair)
Yorkshire & Humber Dementia Action Alliance
National
U.K. Advisory Forum on Ageing (including Working Groups: Transport; Age Friendly Environments and Safe, Warm Homes)
Age Action Alliance (AAA) “Money Matters” working group
Care & Repair England’s National Older People’s Housing Champions Network
Information & Resources
Hard copies available on request. Contact sean.tunnicliffe@forumcentral.org.uk or (0113) 244 1697
Strategic Information
Making Leeds the Best City to Grow Old In is one of Leeds City Council’s seven breakthrough projects. These projects provide a focus on priorities in key areas of work for +the city. This breakthrough project plan is based on the eight World Health Organisation (WHO) Age Friendly City domains:
Civic Participation/Employment
Communication and Information
Social Participation
Housing
Outdoor spaces and buildings
Respect and Social Inclusion
Transportation
Community Support and Health Services
They are also reflected in the Age Friendly Charter which was launched jointly by Leeds Older People’s Forum and Leeds City Council. It specifies pledge that citizens and a range of organisations to adopt to contribute to making Leeds Age Friendly. The pledges were written in consultation with older people in Leeds.
The cities’ key ageing and ageing related strategies are:
Living Well with Dementia in Leeds
Leeds City Council is currently reviewing a range of provision it commissions for older people including; residential care, home care, day centres, community meals and Neighbourhood Network Schemes.
Contact Us
General Enquiries
0113 244 1697
Rachel Cooper
Rachel is the Chief Executive Officer of Leeds Older People's Forum
Rachel joined LOPF in 2009, becoming Chief Executive in 2015. She has been involved in the Forum’s key achievements, which include; advocating important member issues such as hospital discharge and housing; establishing a 130+ member strong alliance of Dementia Friendly organisations, and attracting 6m in funding to the city to tackle social isolation and loneliness.
Rachel is most proud of LOPF being an organization that truly puts older people at the heart of all of its work.
Rachel’s scariest moment was leading a 60 strong flash (dance) mob of older people doing a hand jive to ‘We Love to Boogie’ by T-Rex in Leeds’ Victoria Quarter to raise awareness of Age Friendly issues.
Sean Tunnicliffe
Sean is the communications Officer at Leeds Older People’s Forum (LOPF)
His role includes communications, admin and office management for LOPF and Forum Central
He enjoys the wide variety of his role which covers things like designing reports and documents, organising meetings, putting together ebulletins, writing blogs, updating the Forum Central and LOPF websites and social media and making sure that the office never runs out of milk.
He has worked in the third sector since 2001 first with Volition and then LOPF and is the longest serving member of the Forum Central team.
Previous to this Sean had mainly worked in horticulture and also had a spell managing a newsagent shop.