What is a Warm Welcome and why does it matter to older people?

What is a Warm Welcome and why does it matter to older people? Throughout our programme, older people have told us that being welcomed (or not) to a community activity has a big impact on their wellbeing and on whether they will return. We found there were ten main elements for creating a Warm Welcome which encouraged social connection and a sense of belonging.

Do get in touch via E: [email protected] if you have further questions.

Find everything you need to know about a Warm Welcome in our reports and download the Warm Welcome Toolkit

We’ve explored what a Warm Welcome looks like and provide guidance on how community practitioners can ensure a welcoming atmosphere. Delivery partners have said that providing an ongoing ‘Warm Welcome’ was important for fostering older peoples’ sense of belonging.

We had gathered older people’s ideas, along with resources and tips from delivery partners who've been running Ageing Better in Camden activities for the past seven years, to create the Warm Welcome Toolkit.

The Toolkit covers everything you need to know about how you can make your groups and activities welcoming by working on the key ‘Warm Welcome’ elements, explained in 10 clear and accessible chapters.

What do older people think?

For this learning report, we spoke to 65 older people about what a Warm Welcome means to them. They said that the level of welcome in community activities makes a difference to their wellbeing and to whether they will continue to attend. They identified factors which make for a welcoming group such as friendly greetings when they arrive and informal social time so they can get to know each other.

Read the full report "What makes groups welcoming for older people and why does it matter?" or read the key messages.

The Warm Welcome approach: a practitioner’s guide

This report presents guidance on how to make community groups and activities as welcoming as possible for older people. It is based on the experience and expertise of practitioners (group leaders or teachers, centre managers, outreach workers) who organise or run these groups in Camden and on the experiences of older people who have attended them. Click here to read the guide.