What It Means to Age Well

Published on 18 March, 2026

Exploring What It Means to Age Well in BCP

What does it mean to live well between the ages of 60 and 75 in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole? That’s the question the Trusted Reviewer team at Community Action Network (CAN) have been exploring in partnership with BCP Council.

Through the Voices of the Future project, part of BCP’s adult social care transformation work, the team set out to hear directly from people in this age group about their lives, aspirations and day-to-day experiences. As our local population continues to grow and people live longer, healthier lives the findings from this recent research offer a timely opportunity for organisations and commissioners to better understand emerging needs and plan for the future.

A Framework for Wellbeing

To shape our conversations, we drew on the well-known Five Ways to Wellbeing framework, a simple but powerful approach to understanding what supports a healthy, fulfilling life. We explored how people stay connected, how they keep active, the ways they take notice of the world around them, how they keep learning, and the different ways they give back to their communities.

Alongside these themes, we also asked residents about their experiences with digital technology and invited personal reflections on what happiness, health, and wellbeing look like in everyday life.

Listening to the Community

Our team spent time out in the community across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, building a picture of what ageing well truly means for local people. This included gathering 130 questionnaires (both online and in person), carrying out in‑depth interviews with those actively involved in community life, and observing what happens within local groups and activities.

Together, these insights are already helping to inform conversations about ageing well and are contributing to long‑term planning for services across BCP.

Exhibition Highlights & What’s Next

To bring the research to life and thank everyone who contributed, we hosted Voices of the Future: Unveiling What Matters Most, a vibrant exhibition held on Thursday, 26th February. Colleagues, partners and community members came together to explore the real stories and lived experiences of younger older people across BCP.

The event was warm, engaging and full of curiosity, shining a spotlight on what truly matters to residents aged 60+ and what helps people thrive as they age. A huge thank you to Patch Bournemouth for hosting us and to BCP Council for their continued partnership throughout this project.

The exhibition is now on the move with its first stop at the recent Age Friendly Forum in March, and our photo boards will be appearing in community spaces soon, where people can pick up a copy of the report.

You can explore the full findings, presentations and desktop review below. We encourage you to dive in and learn more about what ageing well really means for our local community.

Read more about the Trusted Reviewers and their projects.