Welcome to the website for the York Older People’s Assembly (YOPA)
Member Subscriptions are now due, please!
The subscription year is April 2025 – March 2026
Subscriptions are due on the 1st April annually and remain at only £5 per member (£10 for couples) offering great value for money!
The benefits of Membership include –
- Being members of a body which lobbies on behalf of older people to the Council and other statutory/official bodies
- Regular Open meetings for you and your friends at which matters relating to older people in York are discussed
- Four newsletters a year with articles of interest to older people
- Information Fairs with many stands of local older people’s organisations
- Annual 50+ Festival with dozens of events across the City ranging from exercise and fitness to local history, music and gardening
Please consider paying by Standing Order to improve our efficiency. Our Bank account details are as follows:
Account Name: York Older Peoples Assembly
Sort Code: 30-99-50
Account No: 77997668
Please note it is ESSENTIAL to ask your Bank to quote your full name on the instructions from them to our Bank. If you have any queries, please contact the office.
We welcome donations and several members add a donation to their subscription.
All this is carried out by volunteers! Please help us to keep going!
Gift Aid
We can also claim Gift Aid from the government for those who pay income or capital gains tax. If this applies to you, please let us know as this will allow us to claim an extra 25% on your subscription and donations.
Bob Towner, Obituary
On 4th January 2025, York Older People’s Assembly lost one of its greatest supporters when Bob Towner died aged 81.
Bob was born and brought up in Caversham, Reading. He excelled at sport, particularly rugby and cricket and played at county level.
Bob studied Industrial Chemistry at Loughborough then worked as a manager in the paints division of ICI in Slough.
Bob was elected as a councillor in Reading and was, for a time, the youngest Leader of a Council in the country. This experience led to a change of career into local government and he was appointed Deputy Director of Housing in Hillingdon and then Director of Housing in Haringey.
In 1985, the family came to York, where Bob took up the role of Housing Director and set about transforming the Housing Department.
Under his leadership, Tenants Choice was introduced, where council tenants, who had previously been told what they were getting, were given choices when needing new bathrooms, kitchens and colours of their front door. Repairs by appointment and the Tenants Charter followed.
A major refurbishment and improvement of the Bell Farm Estate was implemented.
Several sheltered schemes for older people were built including the award-winning City Mills.
One of the first things that he did was instigate the building of The Peasholme Centre for homeless people, which also provided accommodation for women, who had previously not been catered for.
York won awards for Excellence in Public Service for his pioneering work.
In 1995 Bob became Director of Community Services, a combined housing and social care department.
Glen Lodge and Barstow House residential care homes were converted to extra care sheltered accommodation.
The Housing Department won government and architectural awards, and tenant satisfaction was one of the highest in the UK when Bob retired.
After leaving the local authority in 2000, Bob became a consultant and was involved in housing inspections. He became a board member of several housing associations and was a member of the York Primary Care Trust and a trustee at York Hospital.
Bob was a major driver of York Older People’s Assembly. He was Chair in 2013 until 2018. He was a Trustee and produced our quarterly newsletter over many years until December 2024. At Open meetings, he was always asking the challenging question so he could report hot topics in the Newsletter.
Bob came back onto the Executive Committee in November 2021 and had a 100% attendance record since then – that is dedication!
George Wood said, “Bob saw a lot of change at YOPA – at critical times of change in personnel he kept things together – he was always there.”
Bob’s interests were walking, gardening, cricket, politics, cats and real ale and red wine.
We’ll miss you, Bob.
Jim Cannon, YOPA Chair
A Just Giving page has been set up to allow people to donate to YOPA in Bob’s memory: please follow this [link]
The Spring Newsletter is here!
(Please click on the image below to view the file.)
YOPA NOTICES
Volunteer Vacancies
YOPA is searching for …
- A new Chair of the charity to take over from Jim Cannon upon his retirement from the role at the September AGM
- An Editor for this Newsletter, which was produced for many years by the late Bob Towner
- Trustees to join the Executive Committee
To find out more about these volunteering opportunities, please contact Jim Cannon: YOPAChair@outlook.com or 07818 047232
Membership
You are invited to support YOPA by joining as a Member, at only £5 per year.
Please follow this link for details and a Membership form
Age Friendly York
Citizen’s Meetings — All welcome
First Thursday, February, April, June, August, October & December
10.00 – 11.30
Age Friendly York – City of York Council
email: AgeFriendlyYork@York.gov.uk
tel: 01904 554595
York Older People’s Assembly, St Sampson’s Centre, Church Street, YORK YO1 8BE
Tel: 07965 246193
We aim to:
- Represent the views of older people in York to decision makers locally and nationally
- Inform older people about services that are available
- Identify where needs are not being met
- Work with the local authority and others to make York an age-friendly city