East Lindsey, on the east coast of Lincolnshire, is sparsely populated with market towns, seaside towns and villages. It is a popular location chosen by older people for holidays and retirement. The number of people over 60 is higher than the national average and life expectancy is lower than national average.

East Lindsey District Council (ELDC) has been explicit in its commitment to support people to age well. Having supported the ongoing development and delivery of the TED Ageing Better programme (TED), in 2019 a formal partnership was agreed with YMCA Lincolnshire, with a shared aim to achieve Age Friendly Status for East Lindsey. A lead officer was employed to drive the work forward and a dedicated portfolio was established on the ELDC Executive Board.

In 2019 ELDC joined the UK Network of Age Friendly Communities. In 2020 ELDC entered into a Rural Strategic Partnership with the Centre for Ageing Better and Lincolnshire County Council, rooted in their work with TED. Lincolnshire Health & Wellbeing Board is the governance mechanism for this work.

ELDC have been key in shaping the Health & Wellbeing Strategy for District Councils in Lincolnshire, embedding Better Ageing as a cross-cutting theme. They have also been a key partner in the Lincolnshire Homes for Independence Blueprint, which focuses on those needing extra help to maintain their wellbeing and independence.

In 2021, in response to public need, TED developed a support network for people ageing without children, working with Lincoln University on exploratory research with this group.

ELDC and partners collaborated to support older residents to complete the 2021 ‘Digital First’ Census, recognising that many older people might struggle to complete it digitally. Our Age Friendly Baseline Assessment report is complete and we are developing an Age Friendly Action Plan.