Leighton-Linslade’s Age Friendly journey began in 2020, with the establishment of Leighton-Linslade Town Council’s 55UP Project.
Since then, the project has been dedicated to supporting older people to be highly valued and active members of our community. We have worked with many different local organisations and with the support of the Age Friendly Network, we are continuing to explore further ways we can support our older residents.

To date, our current services include:

Grant Scheme to enhance leisure and social opportunities for older people- 7 local organisations received grants of up to £2000 to support with projects focused on older people, including singing and art groups.

Discount Movie Scheme- Our Movies for the More Mature scheme offers regular discounted movies at our local Leighton Buzzard Theatre

Chatty Cafe- Every Tuesday we provide a space for local residents to socialise and network with free tea and cake.

Digital Inclusion Project- Partnering with the charity organisations Citizens Online and Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity, we provide free face to face or over the telephone digital support for older residents. We also offer free tablet and router loans for up to 6 months.

Community Agent Project- Once again partnered with Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity, our Community Agent helps residents access support and services that they need either in person or by signposting them to appropriate services. Individuals can receive support with applying for benefits, completing complex application forms eg. Attendance Allowance or making informed choices with regards to health, transport or joining social groups

Moving forward, Leighton- Linslade Town Council are seeking to work collaboratively with the local authority and other organisations to ensure that our town infrastructure strives towards being more age-friendly.