The project entitled „ACT PRUDENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY”, carried out by the MOST Association in Katowice from May 2015 to December 2015, is dedicated to supporting the activities of Municipal Senior Citizens’ Councils across the Silesian Voivodeship.
Amendment Local Government Acts Dated 11 October 2013, it introduced the possibility of significantly increasing the involvement of older people in social and public affairs. Older people have been provided with the necessary conditions to begin working in partnership with their local authorities through the Municipal Senior Citizens’ Councils. This new body, comprising people aged 60 and over, is intended to have an advisory, consultative and proactive role, particularly on matters concerning the lives of older people, but also to involve older people more broadly in local affairs.
Although the provisions of the Local Government Act provide a basis for establishing Senior Citizens’ Councils, the limited experience to date with councils that are already in operation a clear need has emerged to identify areas in which their activities will be of genuine benefit to senior citizens, the local community and the local authority.
The „Act Prudently and Effectively” project involves 75 people aged over 60, representing 14 Senior Citizens’ Councils already operating in the Silesian Voivodeship, as well as senior citizens involved in the process of establishing further Councils. During the meetings and workshops organised as part of the project, participants developed model solutions in four areas of senior citizens’ policy:
- housing,
- prevention and health protection,
- access to education and culture, active leisure,
- building authority, combating marginalisation.
The results of the work were presented by the participants during radio programmes and will be used in the development of Local Senior Citizens’ Policy Programmes. Further cooperation between the Senior Citizens’ Councils is planned in the form of the Silesian Conference of Senior Citizens’ Councils, under which Council members will share experiences, pass on knowledge and support one another in their activities.
Through collaboration with the media (radio programmes, press breakfasts), the project also aims to raise awareness of the Senior Citizens’ Councils and to encourage local communities, particularly senior citizens, to work with the Councils to voice their needs, thereby helping to shape local public policy.