Age Concern will concentrate on advocacy for the Island?s elderly and abandon an adversarial stance to allow Government?s Social Agenda time to take shape in the coming months.

A major membership drive is also in the works after the seniors? watchdog group took a leading role in forming the inaugural committee of international Age Concerns, a follow-up to last year?s visit to the Island by Age Concern England. Executive director Claudette Fleming recently returned from a trip visiting the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).

Discussions with AARP focused on how to build up memberships, how to accomplish their goals, and how to provide services, she said.

Age Concern already represents about ten percent of the Island?s seniors; while the AARP represents less than eight percent of their demographic. ?So we?re not too far off the mark regarding our representation of the population,? Ms Fleming said. In fact, the AARP thought Age Concern?s target membership of 3,000 ?very ambitious ... They thought we already spoke for a good portion of the population?.

Discussions are ongoing regarding a wraparound benefit ? for example, allowing those who join Age Concern to also become a member of the AARP.

As the AARP does not have extensive international relationships, Age Concern Bermuda is also in discussions with Age Concern England to form an international committee with universal standards for seniors? care.

Age Concern Bermuda is being pro-active in the discussions, Ms Fleming said. A Bermudian group pushing the buttons for international standards makes sense in Bermuda with its large population of international workers.

After examining other lobbyists and research groups, Age Concern is also restructuring its membership base. Instead of focusing solely on members who can lobby from the top down (e.g. former politicians and so on) or grass-roots members who can lobby from the bottom up, Age Concern wants to marry the two, forming a membership base which can be informed by those on the ground, and use the influence of other members to push initiatives through.

For that reason the organisation, while continuing to build up its grassroots membership base, will also attempt to attract influential members of the community to its Board.

The meetings with AARP were positive, Ms Fleming said. ?We?ve been assured that we are on the right track, we?re coming out of the starting blocks in a good position. We?re also developing international ties, an unparalleled benefit.?

Building and retaining a membership base is challenging, she said. ?We?re up to about 400 members right now. These are the beginnings of on-going relationships.?