Silver Sunday
Silver Sunday is a flagship initiative of the Sir Simon Milton Foundation. It is a day in the national calendar, the first Sunday in October, when we ask the nation to pause and think about older people and celebrate their contribution to society. Founded in Westminster in 2012 by one of our former Trustees, Christabel Flight, it has since gained widespread support. It is now a national campaign to tackle the blight of loneliness that affects so many older people, with a wealth of supporters including HM The Queen, Joanna Lumley, Mr Motivator, English National Ballet, Bupa and the Royal Albert Hall to name but a few.
Silver Sunday is a powerful vehicle to draw attention to the problem of loneliness amongst older people. Celebrating the contribution of older people to society, also increases their happiness and well-being and presents an opportunity to bring generations together.
This year Silver Sunday took place on 1st October 2023; the next Silver Sunday is on 6th October 2024. We are so grateful to local authorities, communities, private, voluntary and public organisations and individuals across the country who put on these events or simply write a card or deliver a cake. Past events have included zumba classes, curling, cricket, ballet, Silver circuit training, martial arts, Tai Chi and a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.
If you want to help organise an event or take part in one, information and resources can be found on the Silver Sunday website.
The aim is to turn it into a national day matching Mothering Sunday and Fathers’ Day, establishing it in the national consciousness as a day when we think about older people and help them. With the support of the Sir Simon Milton Foundation, Silver Sunday has grown to the point where thousands of activities and acts of kindness towards older people take place each year – from the south of England to Glasgow and all the way to Northern Ireland.
“Our ambition has always been to create a day in the nations’ hearts where older people feel valued and are given new opportunities to get out of the house, learn new skills, make new friends and connect with the communities and generations around them – if we can have a Father’s Day and Mothering Sunday, why not a day for older people?!”
Christabel Flight, Founder of Silver Sunday
We want to make a step change in the number of activities, making Silver Sunday truly national. Our strategy sets out the following objectives:
- To reach isolated, vulnerable older people through activities and events which celebrate the contribution of older people and help connect them with other people and services
- To use Silver Sunday to increase the awareness of elderly isolation and celebrate the contribution of older people
- To make Silver Sunday inter-generational, targeting the involvement of schools and youth movements
- To develop a partnership model across the country where charities, local authorities and businesses work together to support communities.
- To establish Silver Sunday as a national day on a par with Father’s Day and Mothering Sunday.
