Get Vocal

 The aim of Get Vocal is to strengthen the voices of older people in Ireland by increasing their capacity to make themselves heard. It supports groups and networks to develop ways of speaking out on the issues that matter to them and to spark initiatives that help society to understand their needs and their problems, as well as their hopes. To speak out effectively, groups and networks must build up their ability to advocate on behalf of older people.

Get Vocal works in particular counties in any one year, providing support to partners in that county. Get Vocal is a new way for Age & Opportunity to work. It begins with meeting groups and networks in a county and discussing how to build advocacy for older people in that county. From here, groups and networks can plan projects that Age & Opportunity will support, and in some cases, provide some grant money to help the projects to happen. In most cases, any grants that we can give will be for one year only.

We will be working with the following organisations:

• local, regional and national organisations of older people,
• networks of older people,
• organisations that work with older people,
• organisations which work for social change, for projects targeting older people.

Get Vocal is particularly interested in promoting the networks of older people that are starting to develop in order to have a say in issues like transport, health services, rights and tackling isolation.

You can read about all the current Get Vocal projects here.

Documents from the Evaluation Workshop, October 2010 are available here

How is Get Vocal organised?

Get Vocal is an Age & Opportunity initiative supported by The Atlantic Philanthropies. Within Age & Opportunity, Get Vocal is managed by Paul Maher.

The Get Vocal Steering Committee members include:

• Dr. Phyllis Murphy, Chair, Director of Outreach with the School of Social Justice, Equality Studies Centre in UCD,
• John Brady, formerly a senior civil servant at the Department of Health and Children,
• Jack Horgan, Assist Deputy General of FAS and Head of the Training and Employment Unit, Strategic Initiatives and Alliances in Dublin,
• Dr. Kieran Walsh, Research Officer, Irish Centre for Social Gerontology at the National University of Ireland, Galway,
• Aidan Warner, Principal Community Worker, South Lee Community Services, HSE South,
• John Hynes, Chairperson of the Board, Age & Opportunity.

 Get Vocal is supported by Atlantic Philanthropies.