Manningham has started campaign to end ageism towards older people, after Council endorsed the Tackling Ageism Together: EveryAGE Counts in Melbourne’s East campaign in its last Council Meeting. 

Challenging the stereotypes of older people, the campaign encourages people to speak up and take action. All nine councillors signed The Pledge to stand for a world without ageism.  

Manningham Mayor Cr Andrew Conlon said the last Census found there was a higher proportion of people aged over 60 in Manningham than in Greater Melbourne.

“While ageism can affect people of all ages, when it’s aimed towards older people, it often comes from negative attitudes and beliefs,” he said.

“It is unfortunate ageism towards older people is not often talked about.

“It is far more widespread than most of us realise and is fuelled by living in a society where youth is revered and old age is feared.”  

The campaign aims to start a conversation about ageism and change our attitudes about older people and getting older.

Ageism is stereotyping, discrimination and mistreatment based solely on a person’s age. When directed towards older people, it affects the confidence, quality of life, job prospects, health and self-esteem of many, and in its extreme, can be a contributing factor in elder abuse.

Tackling Ageism Together: EveryAGE Counts in Melbourne’s East is a joint campaign with six other eastern metropolitan councils including Boroondara, Knox, Maroondah, Monash, Whitehorse and Yarra Ranges. It ties in with the national EveryAGE Counts campaign and is coordinated and supported by the Inner East Primary Care Partnership and supported by the Eastern Community Legal Centre,

To find out more, support this campaign and sign The Pledge, visit manningham.vic.gov.au/age-friendly-manningham.