It’s day 10 since I joined Leeds Older People’s Forum as Chief Executive. In many ways it feels like I’ve come home – a great bunch of people but I’m not sure where everything is!

I have worked alongside LOPF for almost five years whilst at Centre for Ageing Better, supporting their partnership with Leeds City Council and with the Forum. The passion and professionalism of the team to truly make a difference to the lives of older people in Leeds made it a role I felt I had to apply for, so I’m thrilled to take up the post this month.

In my role, I want to champion the voices of older people to identify what is important to them, and to support the third sector to work effectively with older people. Ageism is still pernicious in society and I will be challenging it at every opportunity. I am also extremely conscious I am joining LOPF at a time when we are experiencing a national cost-of-living crisis

I have worked in the ageing sector for the last 14 years, at Age UK Yorkshire & Humber; Alzheimer’s Society and Centre for Ageing Better. I will bring the experiences from those organisations, and the older people I met, into my new role. That said, there is always more to learn! Not that my two teenagers would agree!!

The test and learn approach taken by Leeds Older People’s Forum is so refreshing. People’s lives can be complex so we need to understand what works for whom and why. Learning this together in #TeamLeeds is how we will see better outcomes for older people in the city.

I moved to Leeds over 20 years ago when my husband got a job at Yorkshire Forward. That’s gone but we’re still here – we love it.

There are lots of people I have still to meet in Leeds so I hope to see many of you soon!

Jo Volpe
Chief Executive Officer, LOPF