Today marks the end of an era as my time in post as the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland comes to an end, after eight fantastic years.  Enclosed is a summary report of some of the significant pieces of work myself and my office have carried out during this time. I am extremely proud of all that we have achieved together throughout this eight-year period, which has spanned the Covid-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis and several significant political changes.    

It has been an eye opening and challenging but also hugely rewarding experience.  I have met so many wonderful older people from all over Northern Ireland who inspired me with their passion and positive outlook and who proudly continue to play an active role in society.  I feel deeply honored to have been their Commissioner, championing their rights and bringing attention to the issues most important to them.   

Together with the support of my wonderful team, I believe we have helped foster an open and collaborative approach between government and other representative groups and we have worked hard to elevate the lived experiences and concerns of older people on a range of important issues.   

Although my time as Commissioner is ending, there is so much work still to be done to ensure our older people are prioritized and their voices are heard.  I feel reassured knowing that this office will continue to work hard and call upon our government to adequately plan for the greatest demographic shift in our society – our ageing population.  It is my hope that over the coming months and years we will see equality for older people across the board and that key pieces of legislation that I have lobbied hard for, such as the Adult Protection Bill and the Age Discrimination Legislation will finally come into effect in Northern Ireland.   

I would like to thank everyone who has trusted and supported me in my work over the last eight years, and for all those who positively engaged with my office to better understand and meet the needs of older people throughout Northern Ireland.