Age Alliance Wales and Age Cymru have been talking to older people, and older people from the LGBT+ and BAME communities to find out what their concerns are when it comes to transport, community participation, housing, rights and the future.
The aim is to identify the needs of these groups and look for opportunities to ensure their needs are met through collaboration and consultation with local authorities, community groups and Welsh Government.
Across all groups, transport – particularly the bus – was seen as vitally important in helping older people to maintain their independence and well-being. While bus passes were appreciated by the majority of respondents, concerns were raised over frequency of services, timetabling and timekeeping. Older LGBT+ people specifically, had difficulty accessing activities organised within their community which are often held in urban areas and in the evenings. People from BAME groups, meanwhile, reported experiencing racial intolerance not just from other passengers but from drivers.
The full results of the focus groups are available to download from Age Alliance Wales