Age Friendly Communities

An Age-friendly Community is a place that enables people to age well and live a good later life. Somewhere that people can stay living in their homes, participate in the activities they value, and contribute to their communities, for as long as possible. In April 2025, South Kesteven District Council successfully became a member of the UK Network of Age Friendly Communities. This highlights the commitment SKDC has made to make the district a better place to age in aiming to ensuring the local environment, services and social networks enable people to age well and support intergenerational relations.

There are 8 domains which cover the key areas of a place that impacts how well people age. These domains are:

  1. Outdoor spaces and buildings
  2. Transport
  3. Housing
  4. Social participation
  5. Respect and social inclusion
  6. Civic participation and employment
  7. Communication and information 
  8. Community support and health services

More information about age friendly communities and the eight domains can be found here.

Since joining the UK Network of Age Friendly Communities network, work has centred around establishing a baseline profile of the district, which is being created through numerous evidence gathering techniques, with some listed below. This is to establish what is being done well and to identify areas for improvement. This baseline profile will then feed into the creation of SKDC's Age Friendly Action Plan which will focus on 3 to 4 of the domains depending on the findings from the baseline profile.

The development of the baseline profile is underway, and a draft should be prepared later in 2026. A baseline profile is a snapshot of the local area’s demographics, health statistics, existing infrastructure which serves as a benchmark to measure future progress, identify needs and shape strategic planning

The baseline profile will identify the priorities in which will shape the work required in South Kesteven. The baseline profile will in turn move us into Step 2: Plan Strategically. This second step will determine the vision, priorities and an action plan for South Kesteven. 

The Centre for Ageing Better recommends selecting no more than three or four of the eight domains as priority areas for action. This does not mean that the remaining domains will be overlooked; rather, it enables resources and effort to be focused where they can have the greatest impact, while maintaining awareness of and engagement with all domains.

Evidence Gathering Techniques

Mapping Tools 

Organisation Survey

In September 2025, a survey was created for groups supporting the over 50s asking how the district can become more age friendly, helping SKDC to understand what can be done in the future to help older people lead healthier lives.

We received 44 responses to questions relating to housing provision, connectivity, opportunities to socialise, the services available and the perception of how age friendly South Kesteven is.

Resident Survey 

In March 2026, a survey was created for residents aged 50 and over to share their views to help shape the future of services and support across the district.

We received 1029 responses to questions about key aspects of everyday life such as housing, access to services and facilities, transport and connectivity, opportunities to stay active and socialise and how age friendly the district feels overall.

The feedback received will support the creation of SKDC's Age Friendly Baseline Profile, helping the Council to understand it’s currently position. 

Walking Audits 

In April 2026, walking audits were performed in Grantham and Bourne to establish how age friendly common walking routes through the town are.

The walking audits looked to cover areas such as the quality of footpaths and dropped kerbs, the perceived safety of an area as well as the quality of signage.

Walking audits in Stamford and the Deepings are being scheduled, with the findings from all the walking audits contributing to the baseline profile.

Engagement with Older People 

Older adults are a key partner therefore direct conversations and consulting with them is essential. Officers have attended various social groups such as the Dementia Singing Group in Fulbeck, to enable informal conversations with older adults around growing older.

In support of the Age Friendly Work and interest levels from residents wanting to become a community champion, officers are currently exploring options to launch a Community Champion scheme/Older Persons Forum in South Kesteven. 

The scheme will serve as a two-way communication channel between residents and the Council to further help identify areas that are working well as well as areas where there is room for improvement. More information about community champions will become available shortly.

 

Resources

Lincolnshire Carers Service

Lincolnshire Carers Service can provide: 

  • Friendly, expert advice from people who understand caring 
  • Free events to connect with others, take a break, and learn new skills 
  • Benefit checks for you and your household 
  • Support with employment 
  • Carers assessments. 

More information can be found here. 

Age UK Lincolnshire

Age UK Lincolnshire offers a wide range of services such as: 

  • Personal care 
  • Lifestyle support 
  • Deep cleaning 
  • Domestic cleaning 
  • Gardening 
  • Handyperson 
  • House clearance 
  • Telecare 
  • Response service 
  • Hospital avoidance response team (HART) 
  • I forget service 
  • Community Connectors 
  • Information and advice 
  • Activities 
  • Park street eatery 
  • Befriending 
  • Volunteering 
  • Retail

More information can be found here. 

 

Was this page useful?

A-Z of Services

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z