Seniors Active Participation in Environmental Programmes and Campaigns

The ageing of population is a worldwide phenomenon with critical implications for all sectors of society. Due to low birth rates, high life expectancy and migration flow dynamics, worldwide population is “turning grey”, and Europe is not an exception. An ageing population brings social, health, economic, and other issues. The project started from the questions: How do we help people remain independent and active as they age? How can we strengthen health promotion and prevention policies? How can the quality of life in old age be improved?, and attempt to collaborate in assuring that senior citizens remain a valuable resource to their families and communities, as stated in the WHO Brasilia Declaration on Ageing and Health in 1996. Partners planned a project aiming at fomenting active ageing policies that would bring added-value to both the communities and the elderly. When inquired about what prevented agents (or the elderly) to implement outdoor programmes, they responded the staff lacks competences to address nature-related actions and to organize safe outdoor activities.

By implementing this project we wanted to: -Promote active ageing through the involvement of senior citizens in nature conservation volunteering programmes, and through the capacitation of personnel working in the third age sector to develop and implement such programmes; -Valorise the elderly and all their potential as productive citizens; -Support adult (senior) learners by providing high-quality training fostering key competences and skills; -Generate environmental awareness, and promote European citizenship values; -Promote language, literacy, ICT, intercultural, and interpersonal skills in senior citizens and in the third age personnel; -Promote social inclusion and active ageing policy.

The activities implemented in this project are training at least 48 third age personnel from project partner countries, involve directly at least 300 senior citizens in environmental activities and indirectly, over 1000 senior citizens, organise environmental activities in the field, virtual and physical international dialogues and exchanges, test and validate all the results. SENIORS4SUSTAINABILITY is a cross-sectoral project that achieved the abovementioned activities, but mainly long-lasting immaterial results in what concerns the social inclusion of the elderly; their willingness and awareness to enrol in outdoor conservation programmes (or other active ageing programmes) in an informed way; the competences of entities, personnel and adult (senior) educators to develop and implement active ageing programmes; the encouragement of ageing-friendly policies. Through its activities SENIORS4SUSTAINABILITY supported social inclusion and valorisation of the elderly, the establishment of green active ageing programmes, and the development of high-quality skills and competences in both the elderly and the staff supporting them. Environmental action and improvements in local governance policy were also important benefits.

The concrete outputs and results of our project are: a set of tangible results and outcomes that facilitate the construction of intangible outcomes, such an improvement in third-age and environmental policies, a report/collection of best-practice and inspirational cases to inspire and guide the project development, an online platform that features the project information, results, news, and an observatory for best-practice in nature conservation programmes inclusive to seniors, and an enrolment directory for such projects and the elderly, a handbook for seniors, explaining the rights and duties of volunteers, safety rules, etc, a step-be-step handbook and an executive package for institutions willing to implement senior volunteer/active ageing programmes, a training course for 3rd age personnel, available in 4 languages, an audio visual set of contents, explaining the topics addressed by the project in an inclusive way, a policy paper explaining the importance of a change in 3rd age and environmental policies (this output summarizes a set of evidence-based recommendations, from a policy-making and local democracy perspective.), a laymen report assembling all lessons learned and crucial findings of the project, allowing for clear and swift dissemination of the tackled benefits. We also run internal evaluation exercises after each meeting or event, ensuring the project was developing according to each target group and the consortium’s needs and goals. The expected outcomes were development and implementation of 1 senior ‘green volunteering’ programme, delivery of 1 training course for 3rd age personnel, with resultant improvement of their skills and intercultural perspective, organization of multiplier events and consequent impact in local communities. The project raised awareness about ageing and environmental issues, promoted the benefits of international cooperation for the resolution of such issues, promoted 3rd age and environmental friendly policies at high decision making level, with impacts on (at least) local governance and democratic systems, contributed to the Sustainable Development Goals, and relevant EU commitments for sustainable development, such as the 2030 EU Agenda and the EU Green Deal.