Participation Charter
Strengthening the Voice of Older People in Ireland
A practical framework for meaningful, inclusive and sustained participation by older people in the decisions that affect their lives.
A collaboration between
Age Action and the Irish Senior Citizens’ Parliament
Supported by Community Foundation Ireland
A stronger voice for older people
Older people have extensive knowledge, experience and insight to contribute to public policy, services and community life. Yet participation is not always accessible, meaningful or connected to real decisions.
The Participation Charter provides a shared framework for organisations, public bodies, services, funders and communities that want to engage older people respectfully and effectively.
It sets out ten principles designed to move participation beyond one-off consultation and towards approaches that are meaningful, inclusive, transparent and capable of influencing decisions.
Older people should not only be consulted. They should have meaningful, accessible and sustained opportunities to shape the decisions that affect their lives.
The ten Principles of Meaningful Participation
A practical framework for strengthening the voice of older people in public policy and public life
01 - Participation should be meaningful
02 - Participation should be inclusive and accessible
03 - Participation should begin early
04 - Lived experience should be valued as evidence
05 - Participation should influence decisions
06 - Participation should lead to feedback and visible outcomes
07 - Participation should strengthen collaboration and collective voice
08 - Representation should be transparent and accountable
09 - Participation should be sustained
10 - Participation should promote civic engagement, rights and dignity
Official project resources
The Participation Charter and its supporting resources have been published by Age Action. You can access the official documents below or read more about the project on the Age Action website