More about O4O

Why O4O?

The European population is seeing increasing proportions of older people. Peripheral regions including the Northern Periphery, have a higher percentage of older people compared with central, urban regions.

Service provision is challenged by finding and keeping a range of skilled staff and high costs of travel in remote areas. Older people in these areas may experience exclusion and hardship if they cannot access health and social support.

Involving older people helps to combat social exclusion and promote health and wellbeing. O4O supports older people themselves to research needs for services and activities.  

O4O: Guiding Principles  

O4O seeks to:  

Recognise that older people contribute to sustainable, vibrant communities.

Maintian people living independently in their communities for as long as possible.

Include people of all ages.

Develop resources that already exist within communities to promote the health and wellbeing of older people.

Recognise that older people greatly help each other to live in their communities.

View Older people as a positive force and valuable assets. 

O4O: Communities

O4O seeks to support communities in developing volunteering, timebanks, co-operatives and social enterprises. Local people of all ages will be involved in planning, developing and running social organisations which suit them, to make sure the right things are done in the right way. Involving people helps to combat social exclusion and promote health and wellbeing. Who knows better the needs of communities than communities themselves and who can best find good ways to solve them – local people.

A more detailed account of the O4O project can be found HERE.