Ageing Well in Bournville: A Participative Action Research Project

ABSTRACT

A Church of England parish church explored ways to develop its work with older people within the church and wider community through a participative action research project. As the key action the research group developed a short course for people over 55 through which they could share their practical wisdom about how to age well. The findings suggest some ordinary ways in which older people can be enabled to adopt a positive attitude, overcome obstacles and challenge a deficit model of ageing. Theological reflection suggests the value of normalising ageing.

KEYWORDS:

• Ageing
• action research
• practical theology
• asset-based community development

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

The Revd Canon Peter Babington is Vicar of Bournville in the Church of England Diocese of Birmingham. The research project described in this paper was carried out as part of a Doctor of Practical Theology at the University of Birmingham.

Notes

1. This data is available from the Church Urban Fund website, based on the Index of Multiple Deprivation Bournville ranks 3,212 out of 12,606 parishes in England, where 1 is the most deprived (http://www2.cuf.org.uk/parish/520062 accessed June 20, 2016).

2. The research project, and especially its strengths-based ethos was informed by the principles of Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) (see for example: Green, 2006; McKnight & Block, 2010).

Additional information

Funding

The development and running costs for the ‘Ageing Well’ course in Bournville were covered by a grant from Awards for All, funded by the National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund.