Help the Aged was a
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
based, international
charityA charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
, founded in 1961 by Cecil Jackson-Cole, to free disadvantaged older people from poverty, isolation and neglect. It merged with
Age ConcernAge Concern was the banner title used by a number of charitable organisations specifically concerned with the needs and interests of all older people based chiefly in the four countries of the United Kingdom....
in 2009 to form Age UK.
Organisation and campaigns
Help the Aged had national offices in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. As of 2005 the Charity employed over 1,800 people and had an income of £75 million per year.
The Charity was an active campaigner on a number of issues affecting older people including:
- Elder Abuse,
- Poverty among older people
- Health and Social Care,
- Neighbourhoods,
- Pensions and Benefits,
- Isolation
Loneliness is an unpleasant feeling in which a person feels a strong sense of emptiness and solitude resulting from inadequate levels of social relationships. However, it is a subjective experience...
and loneliness
On 26 June 2008, and after years of campaigning by Help the Aged, the British Government announced new legislation aimed at making
Age Discrimination illegal. Equalities Minister
Harriet HarmanHarriet Ruth Harman QC is a British Labour Party politician, who is the Member of Parliament for Camberwell and Peckham, and was MP for the predecessorPeckham constituency from 1982 to 1997...
unveiled the first draft of the Equalities Bill in Parliament to outlaw discrimination through the provision of goods and services on the basis of age.
Help the Aged also conducted a high profile campaign on
Fuel Poverty, which affects an estimated 3 million pensioners in the UK. A household is deemed to be in fuel poverty when more than 10% of its income is spent on heating the house to an adequate standard of warmth. Fuel poverty, caused by low income and non energy-efficient housing, is thought to be a main cause of excess winter deaths.
Research into Ageing
Research into Ageing is a medical research trust that was the research arm of Help the Aged. It operates
The Disconnected Mind, a research project that seeks to improve the lives of older people by unlocking the causes of age-related mental decline.
intune group
In 2007, Help the Aged launched
intune group, a new financial services brand. The service exists as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Charity and offers tailored financial services products including home, car and travel insurance. The Charity launched the initiative to remove age discrimination as a barrier to older people wishing to access certain financial products. Any profits generated by the company go towards the Charity's work.
Merger
In May 2008, Help the Aged and
Age Concern EnglandAge Concern was the banner title used by a number of charitable organisations specifically concerned with the needs and interests of all older people based chiefly in the four countries of the United Kingdom....
announced plans for the two charities to merge.
Following consultation, this was confirmed in September, when Dianne Jeffrey was confirmed as the new chair of trustees.
Tom Wright
CBECBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
, currently chief executive of
VisitBritainVisitBritain is the name used by the British Tourist Authority, the tourist board of Great Britain incorporated under the Development of Tourism Act 1969....
, and Trustee of the
Imperial War MuseumImperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
was appointed Chief Executive of the new charity in November 2008.
The merged charity - known initially as
Age Concern and Help the AgedAge UK is a registered charity in the United Kingdom, formed on 25 February 2009, and launched on 1 April 2009, which combines the operations of the previously separate charities Age Concern and Help the Aged to form the UK's largest charity for older people...
and now branded Age UK - was formed on 1 April 2009.
External links