World Congress on Active Ageing ends on a high note

After four years of planning, the week-long 8th World Congress on Active Ageing ended in Glasgow last Friday.

Over 1000 delegates from 47 counties participated in the event, which organisers and attendees hailed as a success.

From an Age Scotland perspective, highlights included the opening ceremony's Walk With Me event along the Clyde, seeing 98-year-old Les D'Arcy going for gold in the film ‘Ping Pong', which had its premier at the Glasgow Film Theatre to coincide with the congress and meeting 93-year-old bodybuilder and rowing champion Charles Eugster, who when asked why he persisted trying to look in the best physical shape said: "Vanity dear boy."

Throughout the event, Age Scotland member groups participated, singing, dancing, walking and also receiving recognition for their efforts to further the cause of Active Ageing. Congress co-convenor, Dr Dawn Skelton was particularly moved by our awards ceremony, saying: "We heard some truly lovely stories of community spirit and the difference some Champions and groups make to people's lives. The Age Scotland awardees should be an inspiration to us all."

Age Scotland would like to thank the Grampian 50+ Network, the Ayrshire Networking Group, the Tryst Over-50s Walking Group, Forward@Fifty, the Inverclyde Globetrotters and all our other member groups who took part, for making older people's participation in the congress for the first time, the success it was. 

A lot of networking took place between presentations and keynote addresses and discussions around the possibilities of joint working on topics such as sedentary behaviour and depression in older men will hopefully become a reality for Age Scotland in the near future.