UN International Day of Older Persons 2024
Theme: “Ageing with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide”
To mark the UN International Day of Older Persons 2024, the Scottish Pensioners’ Forum (SPF) held its annual demonstration outside the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 26th September 2024 bringing together campaigners, trade unionists, and community activists to highlight the urgent need for robust care and support systems for older people.
Over 50 participants joined the demonstration, including representatives from:
o Unite the Union
o WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality)
o Fuel Poverty Action
The demonstration centred on the removal of the universal Winter Fuel Allowance, disproportionately impacting older people on low incomes and already living in fuel poverty.
Campaigners made their voices heard through heartfelt speeches and media engagement, calling for the reinstatement of universal support for older people during winter.
Following the demonstration, the SPF hosted a reception inside the Scottish Parliament, gratefully sponsored by Richard Leonard MSP.
The reception provided a space to debrief and discuss the next steps in the campaign with contributions from attendees across Scotland, highlighting the very real issue of fuel poverty in their respective areas
The event was widely covered by both STV and BBC News, helping to amplify the message to a national audience.
In a show of intergenerational solidarity, media students from Edinburgh Napier University attended the event and covered our demonstration and campaign as part of their dissertation projects.
Their involvement highlighted the importance of youth engagement on age-related issues and offered hope for a future where older people’s rights are upheld and respected.
Events on the day sent a powerful demonstration of solidarity and resilience and the SPF thanks all of its supporters, across all generations and sectors, for their continued belief in their work in helping to secure welfare rights for older people.
