Ashford joins the UK Network of Age-friendly Communities

Ashford Borough Council is delighted to join the UK Network of Age-friendly Communities – a growing movement of places committed to making their communities a better place to age in, working with the Centre for Ageing Better.

We are joining a group of places across the UK who are making changes to our physical and social environment to allow people to remain healthy and independent.

With Ashford becoming part of the UK Network, we are also joining a global movement led by the World Health Organisation. The approach is an evidence-based, globally recognised framework for creating communities that are better places to grow old.

We have joined the network because we value our older residents and want to take the necessary steps to ensure more people can continue to enjoy life and get the support they need as they age.

We already have started our planning and will be talking further to residents, local businesses, charities and others to identify what’s next and to develop our action plan.

This will bring a range of partners together so everyone can understand their role and take action to make improvements and to listen to older people within the borough.

The UK Network of Age-friendly Communities covers over 30 million people across the UK, of which over 10 million are over 50.

Cllr Katrina Giles, Cabinet Member for Communities and Health at Ashford Borough Council, said “We are proud to be joining the UK Network of Age-friendly Communities. Our older residents are a vital part of Ashford’s identity, and we are committed to ensuring everyone can age well and feel valued. By working together with local partners and listening to the voices of older people, we will create a borough where people of all ages can thrive, remain independent, and continue to contribute to our community.”

Natalie Turner, Deputy Director for Localities at Centre for Ageing Better, said: “The population of the UK is ageing, with one in four people expected to be over 65 by 2050. The fact that people are living longer is cause for celebration, but it is important that we take proactive steps to allow people to age well.

“We are delighted Ashford have joined the growing number of areas committing to supporting the needs of our ageing population.

“Age-friendly Communities support healthy and active ageing and allow older residents to help shape the place that they live in. In these communities, older people can continue to live in their homes and participate in activities that they value, whilst contributing to their communities.”

Age Friendly Community Survey

As we strive to make the borough an age-friendly community, we would like residents aged 55 or over to complete our anonymous Age-friendly Community survey before 13 March 2026 to help us evaluate the current level of accessibility in the borough. Please answer as truthfully as possible because this will allow us to make the appropriate changes to reach our age-friendly target.

Think about your local area within the borough when answering these questions. Many questions ask about ‘access’- think about two things: whether something exists, and whether you can get to it.

About the Centre for Ageing Better   

Everyone has the right to a good life as they get older and our whole society benefits when they do. But far too many people face huge barriers that prevent them from doing so.   
As a result, many older people are living in bad housing, dealing with poverty and poor health and made to feel invisible in their communities and society.    

The Centre for Ageing Better is pioneering ways to make ageing better a reality for everyone. 

Its key areas of work include challenging ageism and building a nationwide Age-friendly Movement, creating Age-friendly Employment and Age-friendly Homes. It is a charitable foundation funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and part of the Government’s What Works Network.