Churchill Living’s own charity the Churchill Foundation is proud to be partnering with the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) on its latest project: The Beyond Midlife Commission.
To support the commission Churchill hosted a successful ‘Beyond Midlife’ focus group event at its Wessex Lodge development in Bagshot recently, giving real residents and colleagues the opportunity to contribute to this important project by sharing their own lived experiences of ageing, community, independence, purpose and contribution in later life.
The CSJ is an independent think tank based in Westminster, with a record of over two decades’ work turning rigorous research and frontline insight into practical, policy-shaping recommendations. The Beyond Midlife Commission is bringing together a small group of senior leaders from across business, politics, the public sector and civil society, and its work will be grounded in listening carefully to those most affected, including participants such as Churchill.
The Wessex Lodge session explored the issues affecting people in midlife and later life who want to stay in work, and what changes or support could help people stay in work for longer. A common theme was the strong sense of purpose and identity that a successful career can give you, and how challenging it can be when this suddenly comes to an end:
- Gill gave up her City career at the age of 56 to look after her ageing parents. When looking to re-enter the workforce some years later, she found it very difficult to find anything until she happened to secure a role in her local book shop, where she worked for several years into her late sixties. She thoroughly enjoyed this second career in later life, which helped her ease more gently into full retirement.
- Cedric began his working life as an RAF fighter pilot and later joined British Airways where he served as a captain for 22 years. He loved his career, which “never felt like work”, but was happy to leave at BA’s mandatory retirement age, after which he played “a lot of golf”. Whilst he is very content with life, he would have happily continued working for longer.
- Louise spent 25 years working in Personnel for Debenhams, taking early retirement in her 50s, but then going back as a part-time pension adviser, and later working for the Employment Tribunal Service. She remembers a feeling of “Is that it?” and almost a sense of loss after her initial retirement, so she was grateful to be able to return in a part-time role that enabled her to keep using her skills and experience to help others.
- 65-year-old Stuart still works full time as a Pension & Employee Benefits Manager following his move to Wessex Lodge. He says: “When it comes to retirement, having the right plan in place is key. I’ve spent my career telling people this, so although I have no immediate plans to retire myself just yet, I feel I’m in the right place for when I do. I don’t want to be a cobbler with holes in his shoes!”
Lodge Manager Alex has given each of her residents a job title, appointing them to roles such as “Head of Maintenance”, “Disaster Recovery Expert” and “Social Events Coordinator”. This is done with a sense of fun but also to help everyone within the community to maintain an individual sense of identity and to give them responsibility for continuing to do the things they’re good at.
CSJ’s Head of Work and Opportunity Nikita Malik, who led the focus group, said: “The Beyond Midlife Commission will examine one of the most pressing yet underexamined challenges facing our country: how to better support people approaching midlife and beyond to thrive in the labour market. It was great to hear Churchill residents’ personal experiences and perspectives on this topic. With nearly two in five people in England now aged 50 and over, too many still face barriers to good work, financial security, and wellbeing, despite having much more to contribute.”
Churchill Foundation Manager Annie Frederick added: “As a specialist in providing housing for the over 60s, Churchill has a clear understanding of the challenges older people often face, and we care strongly about making sure this generation is well-supported and empowered to keep making a positive contribution to society. The Churchill Foundation was created to help focus our efforts on giving something back to the communities where we operate, and to make a real difference for charities that share our common goals. The CSJ shares our core aim of promoting health and wellbeing for the older generation, which is why we’re proud to be partnering with them on this important project.”
Discussions from the event will support the final Beyond Midlife Commission report to be published later this year.
