Resources
Our Voices: the experiences of people ageing without children
This report produced with the support of the Beth Johnson Foundation in 2016 highlights the individual experiences, thoughts and stories of older people who are ageing without children, a subject which previously received minimal attention in terms of research, policy and planning.
It argues that it is vital to explore why a growing number of people are entering later life without children, the impact this could have on their care and support and their feelings about the future. It also considers some potential strategies and solutions to address these challenges.
Based on feedback from 4 focus groups, interviews and a survey completed by 400 people in 2015 it identifies six key issues affecting the experience of ageing without children:
- Invisibility, feeling overlooked
- Judgement and assumptions made
- Feeling disconnected from younger generations
- Lack of practical informal support
- The challenges of being a carer which is often a trigger point
- The absence of someone to tell your story
AWOC Guide to Running Groups for People Ageing without Children
This guide to running was produced with financial support from the Transform Ageing programme and in collaboration with PRAMA with whom AWOC worked on a project to help people ageing without children establish local groups in Poole and Bournemouth in 2018.
One of the key learning points from this work was the importance of having the support of a local organisation who really understand the issues affecting people ageing without children, in order to be successful. The purpose of this 2019 Guide, which was co-produced by individuals ageing without children, is to help local organisations run groups by developing a supportive model where the purpose is:
- To offer a safe place where people ageing without children can come to share experiences and ideas.
- Peer support and understanding for people ageing without children from others in a similar situation.
- To influence local planning and policy on ageing so that the needs of people ageing without children are taken into account.
- To identify solutions/services that could help people ageing without children work with local organisations, with the support of AWOC to help make them happen.
Ageing Without Children: Working with the invisible million: a toolkit for organisations
In 2021 the National Care Forum (NCF) and AWOC launched a Toolkit written by Kirsty Woodard aimed at organisations responsible for managing and providing services for older people across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
The purpose of the toolkit was to help organisations particularly in the health and care sectors understand ageing without children and the impact it can have, what it means for the delivery of services and how organisations can highlight the issue both internally and externally with partners and the public.
Reports
A lonely place to be : ageing without children and the impact of the Covid19 pandemic (July 2021)
The impact of Covid19 on people ageing without children: experiences of the AWOC York group (June 2020)
Living Longer: implications of childlessness among tomorrow’s older population
Office for National Statistics 17 August 2020