North Herts and Stevenage CVS

About the Age Friendly: Live Better Programme

Funded by the Public Health Prevention Investment Programme (PHIP), we are looking for people to join our exciting new initiative which builds on the foundations of Age-Friendly Hertfordshire (AFH) and Live Longer Better in Hertfordshire (LLBiH). Currently, these initiatives are delivered as separate programmes—AFH focused on creating age-friendly environments and improving experiences of ageing through community engagement, local action and system-level influence, and LLBiH on physical activity and prevention to strengthen purpose, capability and connection. This new programme will bring elements of these programmes together into a single, countywide framework, enabling alignment, deeper local delivery, and a stronger shared legacy.

This programme, Age Friendly: Live Better, will be delivered by Age UK Hertfordshire, Herts Sports & Physical Activity Partnership and North Herts & Stevenage CVS.  The programme will advocate for system-level change, while ensuring meaningful grassroots impact through community engagement, co-production, and local activation. The partnership will work across local government, health, VCFSE, private sector, and transport partners to champion age-friendly policies, while embedding co-designed, resident-led action at community level over the next 3 years. The main objectives of the programme will be to:

• Reduce loneliness and isolation by increasing opportunities for connection, volunteering, and local engagement
• Improve access to inclusive infrastructure and services, such as transport, toilets, and resting places
• Strengthen cross-sector commitment to age-friendly practices in workplaces, planning, and service design
• Shift behaviours by making it easier, safer, and more rewarding for older adults to remain active and engaged

Job Purpose

This is a pivotal support role working both independently and within the programme team, as part of the Age Friendly: Live Better movement. The overall purpose is to ensure more people across the county can enjoy later life.

You will take responsibility for ensuring the local delivery plans are implemented, working with wider partners and older adults in the local community.

The AF:LB Programme and Partnerships Officer will deliver key actions in local areas, such as leading on walking audits, take a seat campaigns, and embedding age friendly priorities.  You will need to communicate and influence a variety of audiences, both digitally and in-person.

You will be supporting ongoing review and development of processes as the programme evolves, ensuring our approach remains effective and responsive.

Specific duties and responsibilities

Partnership and local community responsibilities:

• Lead engagement with district, borough, town and parish councils to embed Age Friendly principles within local strategies and service delivery, and support them through the process of preparing for and achieving formal Age Friendly accreditation.
• Represent the programme and partner organisations at local community events, partnership meetings and engagement activities.
• Support establishment and ongoing delivery of local Older People’s Forums or equivalent structures to ensure strong resident voice in shaping priorities.
• Work with local authority and VCFSE partners to identify and pursue funding opportunities that can support local Age Friendly projects and innovation.
• Recruit local organisations, community groups and stakeholders to join the Age Friendly Network and strengthen commitment to age-friendly practices and sign up to the Age Friendly employer pledge.
• Provide insight from local delivery to inform countywide planning, priorities and system-level action, and vice versa.
• Lead or support delivery of local campaigns and engagement activities, including initiatives linked to national movements (e.g., International Day of Older People, Act Now Age Better, Take 5 to Age Well).
• Recruit, engage and manage volunteers to support delivery of the local action plan
• Develop understanding of local needs around ageing, and establish means by which to engage with local people, raise awareness and interest in participating in the initiative.
• Prepare and present briefings and reports about progress against plans, at internal and external events
• To assist with collection of service feedback
• Ensure all activities are delivered in accordance with agreed policies and procedures e.g. equalities and diversity, health and safety, confidentiality, data protection etc.
• Support regular network communications, including the monthly newsletter and member bulletins.
• Work with the team to ensure the online resources and web pages are up to date, accurate and accessible to members, and meet the needs of new and potential members.
• Promote and support open and effective collaboration across the programme
• Carry out all duties in a professional manner and in line with our values
• Undertake any other roles or responsibilities that may be reasonably required

Person specification