There’s been a shift in recent years towards looking at social isolation and loneliness as an area of policy. We talk to our guests Paul McGarry and Kate Jopling about the move from deficit-based models where we link ageing purely to health and social care to looking at assets and supporting older people to continue being active within their communities.

Topics covered include the impact of cuts and population changes on how we age, why the difference between loneliness and social isolation is important and how understanding the difference between the two can shape how we support people.

This episode also features short discussions with Ageing Better partners Vic Stirling from Sheffield, Stephen Raybold from Birmingham and Corinna Hyman from Camden.

A transcript of this podcast is available at www.ambitionforageing.org.uk/podcast

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Further reading

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· Paul McGarry is the Head of the Greater Manchester Ageing Hub, you can read more about their role and activities on the GMCA Website and follow Paul on twitter at AgeFriendlyMCR.

· You can follow Kate Jopling on twitter.

· Age Better in Sheffield are continuing to work to ensure that older people in Sheffield feel connected with communities.

· Ageing Better in Birminghamis a programme that aims to reduce loneliness and social isolation among people over 50 across the city.

· Ageing Better in Camden is a partnership of older people and Camden organisations, working together to tackle social isolation and loneliness.

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Ambition for Ageing is a Greater Manchester-wide cross-sector partnership aimed at creating more age-friendly places and empowering people to live fulfilling lives as they age. Ambition for Ageing is part of Ageing Better, a program set up by the National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.  Ageing Better aims to develop creative ways for older people to be actively involved in their local communities, helping to combat social isolation and loneliness. Ambition for Ageing is led by Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisation, the voluntary community and social enterprise sector support and development organisation covering the Greater Manchester city region. The theme tune for this podcast is Air by Iliya Troyanov, and any indents this season are taken from his track Tide. Both are used under a creative commons license from his album Fugue. Thank you for listening to this podcast. For more information about Ambition for Ageing and the work we do, visit ambitionforageing.org.uk.