2012 Legacy

Leaving a legacy for Active Ageing
The 8th World Congress Local Organising Committee aims to leave a lasting legacy for Active Ageing throughout the World as well as the UK. As a world-wide scientific meeting, the Congress will bring together and disseminate the latest in research and practice to inform Active Ageing professionals. This learning will be re-enforced through additional aspects of the programme e.g. networking events, meet the expert sessions as well as working with Human Kinetics our Congress partners, to produce Congress abstracts and proceedings in a special edition of the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity.

The World Congress on Active Ageing and the London Olympic Year
In 2012 the World Congress on Active Ageing will be staged in the UK for the first time. In this year the 2012 London Olympic Games will also provide a landmark opportunity to ensure that through the promotion of Active Ageing, people of all ages can be included in the legacy plans designed to increase participation in physical activity.

The Commonwealth Games - Glasgow 2014
Further legacy Active Ageing legacy plans are also included in the opportunities provided by the hosting of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Active Nation is an initiative which aims to energise and motivate Scots to increase their physical activity in the run up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and beyond. Using the spirit and excitement of the games, Active Nation will motivate Scots of all ages, backgrounds, shapes and sizes to get more active and get more out of life, which in turn will deliver a lasting legacy which will benefit the whole country. The message - get active, have fun, feel good – is at the heart of the campaign.

Using the Active Ageing Events programme, the organisers of WCAA2012 will contribute towards the Active Nation campaign and with Scottish Government policy as a means of implementing the intention to
“… work with the organisers of the 8th World Congress on Active Ageing to be held in 2012 in Glasgow to drive forward initiatives which make it easier for older people across Scotland to be more active. This includes “Walk with Me” a new “buddying” project to encourage older people to get out and about in their local community and “Senior Games Festivals” to give older people an opportunity to participate in a wide range of sports.”

A Games Legacy for Scotland (2009) Scottish Government.

“Twenty per cent of Scotland’s population are 50 years old or more and this proportion will increase in the coming years. Older people play a crucial role in life in modern Scotland and the Scottish Government is committed to empowering older people to live healthy, active and independent lives.

All Our Futures: Planning for a Scotland with an Ageing Population (2007) Scottish Government

Legacy planning in practice
Research has shown that an Olympic or similar participation legacy will not “just happen” by chance.

• The 2012 Games in London can play a pivotal role in increasing participation in sport and improve health through a series of wider initiatives and strategies, such as festivals and cultural events based around the Olympics.
• Initiatives need careful planning and should be tailored for different target groups.
• This strategy should include community and education programmes.

(Centre for Sport, Physical Education and Activity Research at Canterbury Christ Church University, 2009)

To ensure that older people are included in any such legacy plans, the British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health believes that:

“There needs to be meaningful opportunities for potential participants (including older people of all abilities and ages) to celebrate for themselves, experience and participate in a festival or event with similar playful, enjoyable, competitive, social experiences as those provided by the 2012 Olympics and similar major games events”.

(BHF National Centre position statement after the 2012 Olympic Legacy Report 2009)

The Active Ageing Legacy – key activities
This will be the 1st time that the World Congress on Active Ageing will be held in the UK. Consequently ensuring that a WCAA 2012 Legacy impacts upon the work of National and Local Government agencies, the health and care sectors together with a wide range of physical activity organisations is a priority. This will be achieved in a number of different ways including
• Raising the profile of Active Ageing through the promotion of the 2012 World Congress to Active Ageing professionals throughout the UK.
• Engaging a wide range of Active Ageing professionals and the public in the planning and delivery of the World Congress programme.
• Working with Active Ageing partner organizations and Active Partners  to develop specific areas of work and programming designed to build capacity amongst national and local agencies.
• Ensuring that Active Ageing events and opportunities are included within the Legacy Plans for the 2012 London Olympic Games and in the Legacy planning for the 2014 Commonwealth Games (also being held in Glasgow)
• Providing resources designed for professionals to promote Active Ageing.
• The hosting of Public participation events during 2012

Engaging the public in WCAA 2012 and Active Ageing
The Congress hosts strongly believe (included in the initial Conference bid document) that this landmark event should be both for as well as about the older population. In simple terms, we will look at how we can encourage individuals and groups of older people to participate in the Congress programme. Below we set out some of the actions required to make this happen with the purpose of ensuring individuals and groups of older people are able to contribute to and participate in the Congress programme with the purpose of both enhancing the programme and learning from the educational and participative experiences provided.

Key components of public participation
Representatives from older people groups from across Scotland have been engaged in the various Congress Organising Committees (e.g. Age Scotland, Scottish Seniors Alliance) to assist with all aspects of Congress planning.

The public will be invited to attend the Congress through one-day “Senior Passes” which will include attendance at Congress keynote paper sessions, participation in a variety of practical demonstration physical activity opportunities, attendance at “Meet the Expert” round table sessions, access to the Congress Exhibition as well as refreshments for the day.

Older people attending the Congress will be provided with a supportive and welcoming experience and the opportunity for a volunteer buddy to accompany them for the day.

To further enhance the “Senior Pass” experience, we will ensure that key Congress activities e.g. keynote papers, “Meet the Expert sessions, adopt inclusive communication approaches.

Scotland wide participation and challenge events
Not all seniors will be able to attend the 8th World Congress so the organisers are planning two Scotland wide participation and Active Ageing Challenge events to coincide with the Congress.

Go for Gold Challenge – 3rd July 2012

With the National Association of Providers for Activities for Older People as key partner, July 3rd 2012 will be the Go for Gold Challenge whereby the residential and care sector across the UK will be invited to take part in a one day 2012 challenge, involving games, walking and dance challenges.

Walk With Me Challenge 13th August 2012

To celebrate the opening of the 8th World Congress on Monday August 13th, 2012 , the Walk With Me Challenge will encourage organisations, groups friends to gather steps towards a Scotland Wide walking challenge target.

Further details of resources for these challenges will be available in November 2011 at www.active-ageing-events.org.uk.

Active Ageing professional networking events
The Congress programme will also include a series of networking events and symposia designed to bring together professionals with similar interests to stimulate discussion and create permanent professional networks. This will be undertaken in collaboration with key Congress Active Partners e.g. the Scottish Physical Activity and Health Alliance (PAHA), NHS Health Scotland, professional bodies and a range of medical charities. The development of these professional networks are seen as an outcome of the Congress programme that will contribute to the Active Ageing Legacy and organisers of the Congress are willing to work with interested organisations to assist in the initiating such networks through the Congress programme. To register your interest in developing such a network contact info@wcaa2102.com

The UK forum for Older People
The UK Forum for Older People (supported by the Department for Work and Pensions) meets every 6 months and includes representatives from the 4 home countries. The summer meeting of the UK Forum will be held at the 8th World Congress, increasing the presence of the older people and their voices at this meeting and leading a debate related to Active Ageing across the UK