'A busy year pushing to help improve the lives of older people'

At this time of year my mind moves to reviewing our activities here at North Staffs Pensioners' Convention during 2025.

- Cliff Hathaway MBE - Vice chair, North Staffs Pensioners' Convention

This is our third year in new offices and has been a very productive one for our marvellous team of volunteers and members, considering that we have been unable to employ any paid staff for several years.

Our function is not to sit and moan about issues that affect us but to campaign for better respect and quality of life for our 400-plus members and for older people everywhere.

This year we added our voice to demands for the Government to reinstate the Winter Fuel Payments following their shocking withdrawal.

We lobbied local MPs to support our call for an Independent Commissioner for Older People in England following similar appointments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

We continue to push for an Integrated Transport Authority for the whole of Staffordshire to compete for funding and improved services.

Our splendid transport committee is packed with members having enormous life experience of working in rail and bus services, planning and engineering.

We are grateful to them for regularly contributing their valuable knowledge to local authorities and others when plans are being formulated and for continuing to lobby for changes.