Significance of Portsmouth City Council’s 60+ Festival for lonely older residents as event returns

Portsmouth’s annual 60+ Festival, managed by Portsmouth City Council and supported by the Victorious Festival, returned on October 1st in an effort to ingratiate older groups of the city and wider area into the community.

Community venues in the Portsmouth, Fratton and Hilsea areas in particular, such as the Fratton Community Centre, have opened their doors to older residents who may otherwise face social isolation.

Recent evidence compiled by organisations such as Age UK have found that the cost-of-living crisis and a lack of funding for local events and groups has led to older residents of areas such as Portsmouth becoming vulnerable to loneliness.

Isolation from the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis has contributed to elderly loneliness (Photo credit: Heather Joyner)

Just over 2 million people over 50 across the UK are estimated to be suffering from the effects of social isolation by 2030.

Guidance from the NHS on loneliness in older people says that elderly loneliness can be caused by natural causes such as disability and illness, or ‘no longer being the hub of their family’.

Data suggests that elderly residents of the Charles Dickens Ward, Fratton and Paulsgrove areas in particular are at the highest risk of social isolation, with the former’s loneliness statistics being linked to its status as one of the 10 most economically deprived council wards in the UK.

Portsmouth is home to Charles Dickens Ward, one of the most financially deprived wards in the country (Photo credit: Léa Debroise via Unsplash)

Councillor Steve Pitt, Leader of Portsmouth City Council, said in a recent brochure detailing events throughout the festival period: “The focus of the festival will be on bringing individuals together to try out new activities throughout Portsmouth.

It’s an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends, as well as develop new interests and skills.”

A large portion of the festival’s events are concentrated through group activities and discussions around certain topics, ranging from tours of landmarks such as the Portsmouth Cathedral Bell Tower to technology talks on the Internet and mobile phone photography.

Local groups centred around supporting older people in Portsmouth have additionally been given the chance to speak to councillors about changes that are needed to further include the elderly in city and area-wide projects.

Elderly Portsmouth residents can learn technology skills through events held during the 60+ Festival (Photo credit: Media from Wix)

Alan Burnett, Co-Founder of the Portsmouth Pensioners Association, said that the organisation was ‘happy to collaborate’ with Portsmouth City Council in meetings and events across the festival so far, and was involved in planning from the start of the festival.

The Portsmouth 60+ Festival will continue until Sunday 15th October.