< Back to Project Library

Wisdom in Practice

Wisdom in Practice helped groups led by older people get started or develop in new ways. It began in 2012 and ran for years with funding through the Scottish Government’s Equalities programme.

What we're doing

We worked with around 40 local groups in many parts of Scotland and with some national networks. The activities that were part of Wisdom in Practice included:

More ways for older people to have a say and contribute to their communities and/or influence policies
Over 500 people getting involved in setting up activities, representing older people or being more engaged in things that happened in their communities
Local groups starting activities that older people wanted to do
Peer support and finding friendships and company running through the activities and networks
Older people supporting each other to make things happen
Reaching and raising awareness about older people who also have other equalities characteristics.

We held events where people from different places and situations came together around issues that affected older people, so they could learn from ideas and experiences in other places and help each other take on new approaches and services.

We brought together people’s experiences and practical suggestions in publications that are still being used.

The impact it's having so far

Wisdom in Practice led on to lots of other projects with older people and the development of inclusive communities. Many of the people and groups that were part of Wisdom in Practice went on to have stronger partnerships and other links with other community groups and with public bodies.

It enabled more people to participate and make changes happen. This was one of the equalities projects that have continued to feed into Scottish Government policies and strategies. Other people also use the tips around participation and giving presentations to contribute on many other issues. People have used the ideas to increase the support they give to older people, with new activities and people feeling more confident about including people who live with dementia, or have hearing loss, and people who are LGBT or from other ethnic groups.

We heard about the additional challenges faced by older people in rural communities, and this led on to all the developments that happed through Rural Wisdom. People living in care homes said they felt they were getting forgotten about, so we found partners to raise the profile through We’re Here Too. People wanted more ways to promote equalities and older people’s human rights, which led on to more work with local communities and other partners through Local People Linking.