Letter: Age-help big business.

Byline: MAUREEN JENNER

SIR - Help the Aged and Age Concern are to merge; one organisation with one name.

This makes good sense since both organisations have pursued similar objectives resulting in wasted energy and resources.

Doubtless job and personnel rationalisation will be considered when the mathematics and logistics are finally equated but I suspect older people will see few benefits or improvements as a result.

Both organisations run costly campaigns, have the ear of government with their eye-catching publicity material and attract young graduates and upwardly mobile, would-be executives to the many lucrative posts these organisations offer.

Slogans pour from their pens and are as easily forgotten when the practicalities of their implications are fully explored.

Few of these pen-pushing bonus-seekers have practical experience of dealing with, living with, or coping with the many adversities older people encounter daily.

Upon scrutiny, neither organisation appears to deliver on promises to respect age by dignifying older people and offering posts to some of the many experienced, well-qualified, perhaps even prematurely retired older people, seeking employment.

That the new chief executive of this hybrid should be offered a salary of pounds 150,000 a year is obscene. The salary bonanza will not stop with the chief executive.

Senior management posts, suitable premises and fitting out the latter, will add to spiralling costs.

Words, whether written, spoken or well-meaning, are no substitute for deeds. Action is needed, not more hot air and political correctness.

There are many older, experienced people living in retirement who work long hours as volunteers because they want to help; offering their services without thought of financial reward and often without expenses.

If the merging of these charities signifies a willingness to offer such remuneration to senior management, it no longer deserves charitable status meriting tax relief on income from donations, etc, and hard-working volunteers may well be dissuaded from supporting this conglutinate, whatever its eventual name, as it reflects the aims of big business rather than a charity concerned with the needs of older people.

MAUREEN JENNER Chair, Carmarthenshire Older People's Partnership (COPP), Nonam House, Ferryside, Carmarthenshire

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Title Annotation:	Letters
Publication:	Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales)
Date:	Aug 27, 2008
Words:	348
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