​Tom Berney discusses the aims and achievements of the Scottish Older People's Assembly

The Scottish Older People’s Assembly (SOPA) has recently reformed itself as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation and is in a great place to represent the interestes of older people in Scoltand.

SOPA is an umbrella body made up of a committee of representatives from many of the leading older people’s organisations in Scotland. It seeks to be a voice for older people on matters that concern them in representations to the Scottish and Westminster governments. To that end it holds an Annual Assembly, in recent years in the Scottish Parliament, at which delegates from many organisations from all over Scotland are able to question ministers and MSPs and discuss the issues they would like to see pursued as our campaign actions in the following year.

In the past three years we have travelled the country from Orkney to Dumfries to Campbeltown holding more than 30 regional meetings of older people in their own towns

Tom Berney

That has been a popular format but we have also recognised that it limits the number of people we can get involved, so in the past three years we have travelled the country from Orkney to Dumfries to Campbeltown, holding more than 30 regional meetings of older people in their own towns.

We ask them what issues they would like to raise with the governments and to list the priorities they would place on them. To ensure we are as representative as possible, we have also held assemblies with specifically disabled, ethnic and LGBT+ groups of people. Naturally, priorities vary in different situations, for example in rural areas they often comment that a bus pass is not much use if you don’t have a bus service! We try to ensure that the full variety of voices are heard.

This year our campaigns include poor standards of care, the high cost of funerals, mental health issues for older people, the state pension, enabling older people to contribute, and discrimination against older people.

The Scottish Government has recognised our efforts and involved us in several official committees determining policy on older people issues. Last year we provided the secretariat to the cross party group on ageing. Our approach is to try, where we can, to improve policies before they are introduced as well as raising examples or protests when existing policies or service have gone wrong.

Tom Berney is chair of SOPA