Engaging Communities

Saturday 22nd September 2007: Truro Cathedral: 10.30 – 2.30
We invite you to a really important event. We want to start a campaign and we want to get that campaign into every single village and town across Cornwall. Older people and people with disabilities deserve it!
Cornwall’s population is changing. We have a growing number of elderly people and a rising number of people with complex disabilities. For instance, every single year between now and 2028, there will an additional 600 people aged 85 and older living in Cornwall.
We believe that older people and people with disabilities have a right to live fulfilling lives based on choice, control, dignity and enjoyment. We believe that older people, people with disabilities and their families have a right to receive high quality help and support when they need it. And we believe that family carers have a right to support in their role as carers and respite from that caring when they need it.
To date, there has been remarkably little public debate about how well we are meeting the needs of older people and people with disabilities and how we will plan to do this in the future. We know that the needs and numbers of older people and people with disabilities is increasing significantly. But how can we plan and pay for these increased needs?
Society can no longer bury its head in the sand. We need to have the debate about what is right to expect of people themselves in taking responsibility for their own care and what level of provision the state should provide. The Engaging Communities event is about raising this issue in Cornwall. It is not a party political, County Council, District Council, NHS or Churches meeting.
Rather, a group of us have got together and decided that this is one of the most important issues we face in thinking about the future of the people of Cornwall. We have asked some of the most knowledgeable people in the country to join us to lead our debate and discussion.
We want to fill the Cathedral – and we want to hear from people from across the county. We want you to come and to make your views known!
Please email your attendance to the event to dpearson [at] cornwall [dot] gov [dot] uk by 3 September 2007