As part of the Calouste-Gulbenkian funded Transitions in Later Life programme, the Centre for Policy on Ageing is co-delivering to mid-life peers, with local delivery partners, experiential short courses based on real-life storytelling and coaching. The courses develop emotional resilience and self-direction and culminate in a celebration of new ideas for making the most of the 50+ years as well as a methodology for identifying opportunities to do this locally. In 2016 we worked with Ageless Thanet, delivering the course to local people in Margate, and with Leeds City Council delivering the course to city council employees approaching retirement.

Restor(y)ing Retirement

The course programme, entitled Restor(y)ing Retirement, is designed for small groups of people approaching or planning for retirement. The content draws on real life retirement stories, personal coaching tools and reflective practice to achieve the following outcomes:

• The approach is person-led and flexible. The content is based on people’s lived experience no matter what that is; and is appropriate for mixed cultures and ages from 50+.
• Participants experience new insights into ‘retirement’ and mid-late life transitions by learning from each other.
• Participants develop self knowledge and reflective practice to identify their needs and desires for this phase of life.
• Participants start planning purposeful activity which will take them towards a life they have good reason to value, moving out of passivity and into action.
• Participants learn how to manage themselves positively when things change.

To find out more about what we did and what we learned see our evaluation report for the first year of our work.