Videos » Charlie and Marie - A Tale of Ageing

As part of an Ageing Well Innovation Series The Young Foundation visualises life from age 60 onwards through the eyes of a fictional couple, to stimulate local government bodies and their partners to think more holistically about their clients.

The Young Foundation brings together insights, innovation and entrepreneurship to meet social needs. Based in the UK, the organisation works worldwide to help deliver social innovation and help policy makers make real change at many levels of society.

As part of an Ageing Well Innovation Series The Young Foundation has been trying to visualise life from the age of 60 onwards. In particular, the study examined those significant events which affect many of us during this period of our lives, such as retirement, or a stay in hospital, and also how we interact with different services at these times.

The various agencies providing services often do not work together well enough. The aim was to stimulate local government bodies and their partners to think more holistically about the people on the receiving end and their experiences of the services provided.

It was a message that echoed throughout the AAL Forum in Lecce, Italy, in September, 2011, where delegates and speakers watched a special film created for the study, clearly demonstrating how confusing, lonely and disconnected life can seem for many, despite the best efforts of those looking to help. The film depicts the story of a fictional couple "Charlie and Marie" and their journey from the age of 60 onwards.

This is a piece of work was commissioned by Local Government Improvement and Development as part of the Ageing Well programme for local government.