A new Age-Friendly initiative for Tetbury
We’re really pleased to share some good news with our community.
TAYCT is part of Age-Friendly Cotswolds, a new three-year initiative bringing together local charities to work alongside older people and support more connected, inclusive communities. The programme is made possible thanks to a £1 million investment from The Summerfield Charitable Trust.
Age-Friendly Cotswolds is rooted in a simple idea: that communities are stronger when people are supported to age well, stay connected and feel valued. As David Owen, Chair of Trustees at The Summerfield Charitable Trust has said:
“Creating age-friendly communities is about more than improving services; it’s about ensuring that older people feel valued, connected, and able to thrive. The Age Friendly Cotswolds initiative reflects a shared commitment to listening to local voices and shaping environments where everyone can live well as they age.”
At TAYCT, we’ve always believed that Tetbury is strongest when people of all ages feel connected, valued and able to play a part in community life. This new initiative gives us the time and capacity to build on what already works locally and to grow new opportunities shaped by older residents themselves.
What does this mean for Tetbury?
Over the coming months, you can expect to see us:
Spending more time listening to older people — through conversations, informal get-togethers and time at the Friendship Café — to understand what matters most locally.
Supporting new opportunities for connection, learning and participation in Tetbury, shaped by local ideas and interests.
Growing a network of volunteers and Ambassadors, including older people who want to help bring others together.
Making small pots of funding available later on to support locally led ideas that help make Tetbury a more age-friendly place to live.
Suzie Drye, CEO of Tetbury Area Youth & Community Trust, said:
“We see every week how important places like the Friendship Café are for connection, confidence and belonging. This funding allows us to listen more deeply to older people in Tetbury, work alongside them, and support new ideas that help people stay active, involved and valued in their community. It’s an exciting step towards our longer-term vision of TAYCT as a true community hub for all ages.”
Age-Friendly Cotswolds will be delivered in partnership with The Churn Project, Cotswold Friends, Age UK Gloucestershire and TAYCT, with older people actively involved in shaping priorities and influencing what happens next.
This initiative will be led locally by TAYCT, but it will be shaped here — by Tetbury residents themselves. There’s no one-size-fits-all model, and we’re excited to see what emerges when we create space for local voices and ideas.
If you’re already involved with Tetbury Friendship Cafe and TAYCT, you’ll hear more soon. And if this sounds like something you’d like to be part of — whether by sharing your views, getting involved, or just popping along to see what’s happening — we’d love to hear from you.
More updates to follow soon.
— The TAYCT Team
