Scottish stars from music and theatre have called upon The Scottish Government to appoint an Older People’s Commissioner.
Singer Barbara Dickson OBE, actor Gregor Fisher, and actor Barbara Rafferty have backed the charity, Independent Age, which wants everyone to have a voice, particularly as they age.
Messages released today will call on Holyrood to make the appointment which would ensure that there is joined up thinking in all government departments and long term policies.
There is a misconception that everyone in later life is enjoying a comfortable retirement which is simply not true. There are more than 150,000 older people living in poverty in Scotland. Many are struggling in the face of the cost of living crisis.
Barbara Dickson OBE, 75, who is a two-time Olivier Award-winning actor said: “I’m joining Independent Age to call for an Older People’s Commissioner in Scotland because it’s time my generation had a champion to highlight the issues we face as we age. Poverty is impacting on too many older people in Scotland. 150,000 people over 66 now live in poverty and face a daily battle to make ends meet. An independent commissioner to join up government decision making and policies with the needs of older people in mind is urgently needed.”
Gregor Fisher, 69, is best known for playing the title role in the well-loved comedy series Rab C. Nesbitt. He said: “I’m supporting the call for an Older People’s Commissioner for Scotland because so many older people are struggling at the moment. It’s so important that, as we age, we know our voices will be listened to and represented, especially when it comes to government policies that will shape our experience of ageing.”
Barbara Rafferty, 73, who plays Bernie O’Hara in soap River City said: “As we age, we can start to feel invisible and like our opinions don’t matter. With Scotland’s ageing population, we urgently need a champion for older people to ensure services and policies are designed with the needs of people over 65 in mind. That’s why I’m joining Independent Age to call on the government to create an Older People’s Commissioner for Scotland.”
More than 35 organisations have signed a joint statement which was published at the beginning of last month, and YouGov poll commissioned by the charity shows that 89% of Scots over 65 also back the campaign.
Debbie Horne, Scottish Public Affairs and Policy Manager at Independent Age said: “Every day, we hear from older people across Scotland who say they feel ignored and like their voices are not heard. We know that many are in financial hardship, making their life a daily struggle, yet this issue is seldom discussed.
“We are incredibly grateful to Barbara, Greg and Barbara for supporting our call for an Older People’s Commissioner in Scotland and shining a light on poverty in later life.
“We all deserve to look forward to our later years and an Older People’s Commissioner would be a champion for the over 65s. We urge the Scottish Government to establish an Older People’s Commissioner and bring Scotland into line with the other devolved nations to ensure no one feels left out of the conversation as they age.”
To add your name to the support statement for the campaign, please visit Call for an OPC in Scotland (independentage.org)
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
