Navaz Sutton is the Strategic Partnership Manager for Lincolnshire at the Centre for Ageing Better – hosted locally in Lincolnshire County Council Public Health. He is passionate about creating a connected society in which everyone can live a better later life.

With many years of experience at senior level within the health and activity sector, Navaz is animated about the health and wellbeing of local communities and the inequalities that exist which affect access to services and opportunities. He thrives on driving tangible positive change and efficiency, to make a positive impact on people’s experiences of leading a healthier life and improving their physical and mental wellbeing.

“My career has been dedicated to maximising opportunities for all members of the community, both young and old, to live a healthy lifestyle,” says Navaz.

Across Lincolnshire 1 in 3 workers are aged 50+ and there are four million more workers aged 50+ than there were in 2000, compared to 1.5 million more aged 25-49. By the time they are 65, under half of men, and less than a third of women, will still be in employment. People in their 50s and 60s face a 17-percentage-point-gap against their younger competitors and so do not have equitable access to work because of structural barriers and ageist attitudes.

“This presents huge opportunities for skills and labour shortages, as well as health and wellbeing,” explains Navaz. “From continued employment to mentoring the next generation, businesses need to begin thinking differently and to consider key steps to improve the way they recruit, support and retain older workers.

“This includes flexibility, introducing or building on age positive recruitment, supporting health and wellbeing, encouraging career development at all ages, and probably most importantly - embedding an age-positive culture into the workforce.”

The UK’s population is undergoing a massive age shift. In less than 20 years, one in four people will be over 65 and the fact that many of us are living longer is a great achievement. But unless radical action is taken by government, business, and others in society, millions risk missing out on enjoying quality lives in those extra years, with significant implications for communities and services. The Centre for Ageing Better is tackling this by working towards policy and practice change to improve employment and housing and create an age friendly movement to address ageism.

To achieve this, we need age-friendly homes, jobs, and for everyone, everywhere to play a role in creating a society where more people can enjoy later life and a society that is inclusive for all ages.

In August 2020, Lincolnshire County Council signed a partnership agreement with the Centre for Ageing Better, the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, and East Lindsey District Council to establish a five-year strategic partnership to collaborate on several joint priorities.

The partnership builds on Lincolnshire County Council's ambitions to secure the best outcomes and opportunities for people approaching later life, ensuring that Lincolnshire is a place where people can age well in an environment which is inclusive, supportive, and empowering.

“We aspire to be a leader on this agenda,” commented Navaz. "Lincolnshire, like the rest of the UK, is undergoing a massive age shift but Lincolnshire is one of many rural and coastal areas already reflecting the kind of demographics we only expect to see nationally by 2043, with 43% of the population here already aged over 50.

“This partnership is really important. We are collaborating to create and share a powerful evidence base and shared learning about what works across all agencies in Lincolnshire and to work with them to shape and streamline services that better enable people to effectively plan for later life. We want to actively encourage people to plan for their financial security and good physical and mental health, as we know that these things make a transformational difference to their lives”.

The Centre for Ageing Better is looking for examples of good practice from across the county and particularly around engaging older workers, which is hoped to be shared at an event in September. To feed in your experiences or to find out more contact Navaz Sutton at navaz.sutton@ageing-better.org.uk or call 07385 417661.

Navaz Sutton 

Strategic Partnership Manager, Lincolnshire Centre for Ageing Better