Ninety-three year old says campaign for shops to offer seating will help keep her independent

Care provider Anchor has launched the campaign Standing Up 4 Sitting Down, to reduce loneliness and encourage older people to go out to the shops more, by increasing the amount of seating for those who need it.

Shopping gives older people, particularly those living alone, social contact which is crucial in reducing loneliness. It also gives them exercise, gets them out in the fresh air and enables them to meet up with friends.

Nona Hall, who lives at Anchor’s Holly Court retirement housing in Attleborough, is backing the campaign.

She said: “Being involved with this campaign got me thinking about why seating is so essential for me and it’s mainly about me keeping my independence. I don’t like being held back by my age. I’m 93 but, with the help of my walker, still walk to the high street and go to the shops every day. I will also travel up to Norwich with my friend Mary every couple of weeks.

“It’s nice to be able to go out and chose your own food, as well as meet with friends outside of my home. I am, however, restricted by how far I can go without resting, so it’s very important that I take breaks by sitting down somewhere. A short rest is all I need and then I can be back on my way in no time. As you get older, you can’t go so far without being breathless but seating can make the difference between having to turn back and head home or making it to the butchers, or the chemist.”

She calls Standing Up 4 Sitting Down a “fantastic campaign because people don’t realise what a difference extra seating makes to older people. Hopefully this will raise awareness, and get retailers to include more and more seats in their shops so people like me can carry on living life”. Shops and retailers are being encouraged to sign up for #su4sd and get free window stickers.

Anchor’s chief executive, Jane Ashcroft, said: “It’s unjust for older people not to have equal access to shops and leisure activities. This generation is often cut off from the online world, so it’s crucial we enable them to connect in other ways. Standing Up 4 Sitting Down calls for change that benefits everyone. For shops, providing seating is a great opportunity to boost footfall and spending. For older people, it offers the opportunity for important social contact to tackle loneliness, encourages physical exercise, and allows a generation the chance to live later life to its fullest.”

Martin Green, chief executive of Care England said that the campaign identifies a really important issue as “not being able to sit down is a real impediment that stops many older people going out and engaging in society”.

He added: “As we age, we often have a range of different conditions that can give us pain, or make us breathless and tired. These conditions need not restrict people from engaging with their local communities, but what they do need, is the opportunity to sit and rest before they continue their activities. If there were more opportunities for older people to take a rest during the time they are out, I am confident we would see far more older people continuing to pursue community activities.”

For more information on Standing Up 4 Sitting Down go to www.su4sd.org.uk