Celebrating International Women's Day in East Lindsey
This International Women's Day (8th March 2022), we are celebrating the successful and inspirational women in our community. Trisha Faulks began the Ageing Without Children (AWOC) group in East Lindsey, and she's shared her inspirational journey with us:
My name's Trish Faulks and I sold houses in Skegness area. Which doesn't sound very community driven does it? But it absolutely was. Myself and my team worked for the members of our community in the best way we could to produce a successful result from our endeavours. And to suit their requirements. Delivered with a smile and goodwill. Everybody happy.
But, how to translate those successes for today's communities and my current subject matter? Ageing Without Children.…
It took the covid word to finally bring me down. To fell me. Heading towards Christmas 2020 the talk was all of families, children, distant relatives, grannies crying at the doorstep. What about me and others like me? People who have no children and, sometimes, no family. This was the lament I wailed at the TV. It was beginning to feel like the childless are sidelined, an ignored group of people. I took to the internet and found AWOC - Ageing Without Children. A group of like minded folk without children (for many diverse reasons), all over the country albeit world, and with several AWOC local groups spread around the UK.
I wanted to start an AWOC group in Lincolnshire for other AWOCs in our areas. So, I contacted the founder of AWOCuk Kirsty Woodard and she suggested I get in touch with our local T.E.D. Ageing Better group (talking, eating, drinking) as they might suggest ways forward.
T.E.D. certainly did that. Many zoom meetings later between myself and Principle Officer of TED, Jane Berni, we launched AWOC East Lindsey onto the public.
After a successful launch event whereby several eminent speakers, including Professor Mo Ray, head of research department at Lincoln University, along with Chair of AWOCuk Paul Goulden, AWOC East Lindsey hit the ground running.
Jane Berni of T.E.D. and I spoke to Melvyn Prior of Radio Lincs, we spoke to Victoria Atkins MP, and we press released to the local journals.
Folk began to contact us. People, many like myself, living alone with no family nor children, keen to meet and talk with others in the same situation. People from all corners of our area and sometimes even outside of the boundaries.
It has surprised me how many people are ageing without children and simply accepting of, not just their fate, but their treatment as they go through life, ageing and often alone, without family and feeling forgotten.
Our AWOC group aims to raise the awareness of those of us Ageing Without Children by talking to relevant organisations like Social Care and NHS, local government officials and speaking at area social groups.
It's important that we, albeit in our small way, constantly strive to have a voice and input with regard to policy makers so those of us who are Ageing Without Children are part of the consideration and end result. Particularly at community level.
If AWOC East Lindsey can reach out to community members who are alone, childless and ageing so they have both a voice and a contact, then we are shifting forwards with our journey. Raising awareness of Ageing Without Children. We, at AWOC East Lindsey and Lincolnshire, aim to raise awareness within our communities as we strive to make everyone AWOC Aware.
For more information about Ageing Without Children, visit Ageing | Ageing Well Without Children (AWOC) (awwoc.org)