Wider Representation and Consultation

The Forum sits on the Older People's Champions Group. Frank Edwards MBE our representative on the West Yorkshire Passenger Group lobbied successfully to have the 3.00pm cut-off time for pensioners concessionary fares Lifted.

The Forum also sits on the Keeping House Project Board and Grants Panel, the Green Fingers Leeds Panel and the New Type of Worker Steering Group. We also represented the older people's voluntary sector during the compilation of the Leeds application to Central Government for the Partnerships for Older People Project.

LOPF and our member organisations have attended meetings outlining new initiatives, including the Making Leeds Better programme and the National Service Framework for Long-Term Conditions.

During the last few months of 2004, Jean Townsend undertook a consultation on the implications of the Single Assessment Process (SAP) for the voluntary sector on behalf of the Forum. The findings and recomendations of that research are informing the development of this process in Leeds.

The Forum contributed to the consultation on National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines on age discrimination.

Positive Images

The Positive Images Working Group has developed a new initiative to create a collection of good quality photgraphs; portraying older people in realistic and positive ways. The collection will be promoted and available for use by professionals throughout Leeds and held at the Public Health Reaource Centre.

Intergenerational Work

The first Leeds conference on intergenerational practice took place in January 2005 in the Civic Hall. The conference drew attantion to what is already taking place in Leeds, and how this work can improve communication between the generations, reduce stereotyping ans suspicion, and build more cohesive communities that are truly "neighbourhoods for all ages". Many participants expressed interest in the formation of an intergenerational network. The Forum sits on this Network group.