A NEW organisation is to be launched later this month to give older people in Pendle a campaigning voice.

The Pendle Older People's Forum will provide a formal structure for older people to influence decisions made by service providers across the borough, and participants will be given assertiveness training to help them speak out.

The forum, set up as part of the Government-created National Services Framework, will be funded jointly by Pendle Borough Council, Lancashire County Council and the Burnley Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust.

It aims to provide a channel for older people's views that service providers will be obliged to listen to.

Organisers are hoping to attract "ordinary" older people, from their 50s upwards, to attend the first meeting at the Birtwistle Centre, in Keighley Road.

Future meetings will include training in assertiveness and confidence building to encourage people who have never been active campaigners to get involved.

Linda MacSween, of Pendle Age Concern said: "This forum aims to enable older people to get their voices heard and the idea is that they will be able to make their comments and suggestions to service providers about what older people need.

"Agencies will also be able to come to the forum before they embark of projects to get people's views and input on their plans.

"It is going to be a forum that will be listened to and we are going to make sure that the people who get involved are given the support they need to be assertive and confident.

"I think there is a demand for this because there are growing numbers of older people who are living longer.

"Hopefully, these people will be able to speak out on issues that affect them. We want as many ordinary people as possible to get involved."

The first meeting of the Pendle Older People's Forum will take place at the Birtwistle Centre, in Keighley Road, Colne, at 1pm on April 21.

For more information call Linda MacSween on 01282 442522.