dlr Launch of Age Friendly Initiatives

An Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Tom Murphy, launched Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown’s latest age-friendly initiatives at County Hall on Tuesday 27^th June 2017 – the Petal Project and the Directory of Activities and Services for Older People in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County.

The Petal Project is a simple initiative designed to address a perceived inaccessibility to toilet facilities identified by older people as a barrier to going out and about in the County. The display of a small sticker with the Age Friendly Petal logo provides a discreet message to older people that clean and accessible toilet facilities are available without fuss. 

Roll out of this project has focussed initially on Council-owned community facilities, with the Petal logo displayed on all community centres, libraries and amenities which have accessible toilet facilities. The next step is engaging with the business community and encouraging take up of this initiative across our towns and villages: An Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Tom Murphy, extended an open invitation to the business community to support the roll out of the Petal Project and other age friendly initiatives across the County.

To raise awareness of the initiative, key rings displaying the Petal logo are being distributed to older people in the County, through the Council’s partners on the Age Friendly Alliance, the Network for Older People, Gardaí, HSE and others. This will allow an older person to give a discreet signal to the business owner that they wish to avail of toilet facilities. In addition, Petal window stickers will be made available to the Chamber of Commerce and Business Associations and are available from the County Council to any businesses wishing to participate. An Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Tom Murphy, encouraged retailers and business people across the County to find out more about opportunities like these for businesses to show that their businesses are Age Friendly, and recognise the opportunities that the silver economy presents.

Like the Petal Project, the Directory of Activities and Services for Older People in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County was developed to address a need identified by older people – an absence of information on services and activities in a format which they find accessible. The Directory contains information on activities and services relevant to older people and has been updated to reflect changes since first published.

The Petal Project and the Directory of Activities and Services for Older People will help to enhance the lives of older people in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. The Council recognises the importance of the business sector in making this County a great place in which to live, work and grow old and has issued an open invitation to the business community to engage with the Council to support the role out of the Petal Project across the County.

Both initiatives were identified as priorities in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Age Friendly Strategy and were developed by the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Age Friendly Alliance.