Our History Age UK East Sussex has been supporting older people in East Sussex for over 70 years. Founded in 1948 as the Old People’s Welfare Committee we became an independent charity in 1973, and until December 2010 we were called Age Concern East Sussex. In January 2011 we rebranded as Age UK East Sussex. This was because we became a brand partner with Age UK (the new national charity for older people formed by the merger of Age Concern England and Help the Aged). We are independent, locally-focused and led by the needs and aspirations of those in later life. Our County We celebrate the fact that the proportion of the county's population over pensionable age is 23.7% of the total population. This is substantially higher than the regional and national averages of 17.8% and 17.0% respectively. Moreover, the relative size of the population aged over 75 years is higher than in any other county in England and Wales. Our Vision East Sussex is a great place to grow older. Our Mission To enhance the quality of later life for people in East Sussex by: ◾Working with people in later life to identify and respond effectively to their expressed needs and aspirations ◾Representing people in later life ◾Promoting a positive image of later life ◾Being a sustainable charity and social enterprise ◾Working with relevant organisations with complementary aims and values Our Values We are: ◾respectful – We treat others as they would want to be treated ◾inclusive – We work together, we involve and we consult ◾positive – We welcome challenges and celebrate achievements ◾realistic – We are open and truthful, whilst remaining ambitious ◾solution-focused – We ensure that what we do makes a real difference ◾expert – We strive to be the best at what we do ◾empowering – We support others to achieve their goals