The Town of Golden will be applying for one of 25 grants to complete an Age Friendly Community Plan after Coun. Connie Barlow brought the opportunity to the attention of council.
“Priority will be given to communities who have not yet completed an age friendly plan, which Golden has not,” said Barlow.
An age friendly community refers to one that supports active and social lifestyles for older people, with services and structures designed to support them.
These grants, provided by the Ministry of Health, are only available to local governments. Therefore, it was a requirement that Town Council pass a resolution indicating local government support for an application for the age friendly grant, and a willingness to provide overall grant management.
“I see this as an opportunity to benefit our senior residents with minimal responsibility placed on the Town staff and resources,” said Barlow.
Karen Cathcart with the College of the Rockies, an experienced grant writer, has agreed to partner with the Town and write the proposal, develop the budget, act as the employer, as well as maintain the budget and ensure the final report is written.
Going through the process of creating this plan will provide information about the current age friendly condition of Golden, identify priorities and ideas, and could also help other groups leverage funding.
The plan may focus on one or more of the following components: transportation, housing, respect and social inclusion, social participation, communication, health services, or outdoor spaces and buildings.
Concern was raised over whether or not this would be a burden on a an already busy staff. Coun. Keith Hern voted against the resolution for just that reason.
The remaining councillors decided that the minimal amount it would add to staff’s workload was not a strong enough reason to let the opportunity pass.
