The Silver Revolution seniors? conference is set to become an annual event, organiser Hilary Soares said.

The United Bermuda Party sponsored the event which attracted between 275 and 300 people on Saturday at the Hamilton Princess.

?It was a wonderful turnout,? Mrs. Soares said.

She said the next conference would probably be in May next year, after the Government announces its budget for the new year.

?We will certainly keep it going and look after the best interests of seniors on the Island,? Mrs. Soares said.

And she has backed calls from keynote speaker Glenn Wachter for a seniors? lobbying group to ape the success of the America Association for Retired People (AARP).

Mr. Wachter said the group, which has 37 million members, is so powerful it virtually writes laws in the States.

Mrs. Soares said: ?I think we should have a similar group here to lobby for seniors and look after their interests.?

She said Age Concern was a resource and information group but a new group could complement Age Concern.

?We obviously have a lot of work to do,? she said.

?We will check it out and see what?s most appropriate.?

Age Concern executive director Claudette Fleming said she admired what the AARP did and her organisation is going to Washington to meet with that group very soon.

She said AARP harnessed talent from older people but she expressed fears that the AARP did not always address working class concerns while the English-style Age Concern did.

?I think a merger of the two would be a great idea, it would be something really unique for Bermuda,? Mrs. Fleming said.

?It?s important we include everyday working class people in whatever movement comes out of this.?

She said it was important to only have one voice for seniors because there tended to be too much division otherwise.

Non-partisanship is the way forward, she said.