Louth businesses invited to champion age friendly initiatives

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

With more a million people aged 60 and over living and shopping in Ireland, the benefits of becoming an Age Friendly Business are clear. It’s easy to implement, cost-effective, and opens up new opportunities - whilst also being of huge benefit to older people.

In partnership with Age Friendly Ireland, Louth County Council will host Age Friendly Business Workshops in Dundalk and Drogheda this September.

Facilitated by Susan L Murphy, Louth County Council’s Age Friendly Business Coordinator, these workshops will arm businesses with practical guidance and information to help them achieve Age Friendly Business Accreditation.

The workshops will take place on Wednesday, 17th September from 10am–12.30pm at Town Hall, Crowe Street, Dundalk and on Thursday, 18th September from 10am-12.30pm at Civic Offices, Fair Street, Drogheda.

The process to becoming an Age Friendly Business involves four straightforward steps. The planning stage involves appointing a staff member to act as your Age Friendly champion who will lead the initiative and advocate for older customers.

The champion acts by attending an Age Friendly Business Workshop, where they’ll gain insights and begin developing ideas tailored to your business.

Consultation with your older customers, to understand what they appreciate and what could be improved, is the third step before your business implements three Age Friendly actions based on this feedback.

Once these steps are completed, your business will receive an official Charter and be recognised as an Age Friendly Business, demonstrating your commitment to inclusivity and excellent customer service.

To attend one of the workshops, please register by Friday, 12th September via the Age Friendly Business Recognition Programme link at https://consult.louthcoco.ie

For further information or queries, contact econdev@louthcoco.ie