I first met Angela Catley in the very early days of Whose Shoes?, so back in about 2009, when she did a very lively and slightly bonkers presentation at a conference.

I remember how Angela used her slides as just a very rough guide, while telling wonderful stories, and occasionally flicking on from one slide to the next as she went. I found it refreshing!

It was full of energy, and she spoke common sense which really resonated with me. She despaired about bureaucracy and talked about HR type functions as the ‘Stuff department’ - often stuff getting in the way of organisations, and particularly good small providers, trying to get on and run a quality service.

You can feel the synergy to my #WhoseShoes work!

Angela was working for Community Catalysts, enabling everyday people to develop brilliant, quirky, creative, life-enhancing solutions to their own challenges. I loved it!

Fast forward … in this episode, we talk about the ‘When I Get Old’ campaign.

We link up with other social movements that celebrate and support people’s strengths rather than their weaknesses, and focus on what matters to people.

How we can all get the best out of systems to live – and carry on living – our best lives?
Even when we get old.

Many of us have banged the drum for our parents, trying to get the best for them. But we can only pick from available choices, and often we know that this is NOT what they wanted.

Have YOU got a clear plan as to what you would like to happen … or are you going ‘La, la, la, la …. Ooooh heck!

Lemon lightbulbs 🍋💡🍋

• Be curious and furious - Furiosity! (shoutout to Mark Adam Smith!)
• There are SO many splendid, creative people - connect with them!
• Discover your shared passions - have conversations!
• Ageing - plan ahead - we can switch from ‘Us’ to ‘Them’ in seconds
• Care Land. Stuff. … keep it real for real people
• Collaborate - join up with like-minded movements. #StrongerTogether
• Head in the sand leads to … La, La,La, La,La ….. oooooh heck!
• Life is a lottery. We can’t all be David Attenborough in the ageing stakes
• Will the options you would choose even exist?
• Crisis … is never a good time to make decisions
• Creativity can help unlock imaginative solutions
• The power of the self-funding pound. Own your paying power!
• Get involved in the #WhenIGetOld campaign!
• Personal choice is specific - not just wine or beer
• Think differently - chat to your friends to see what emerges
• Some great solutions are potentially right there - in your community!
• Don’t let services - eg befriending services - get in the way of friendship
• Relationships matter! Cultivate them and defend them … with furiosity!

Some links you will enjoy:

Join the #WhenIGetOld campaign !

Angela's 'Ta ra' blog when she left Community Catalysts

A pioneer of #WhenIGetOld type thinking : the late, great D

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I tweet as @WhoseShoes and @WildCardWS and am on Instagram as @WildCardWS.

Please recommend 'Wild Card - Whose Shoes' to others who enjoy hearing passionate people talk about their experiences of improving health care.