Age-Friendly Niagara Council (AFNC) Founding Board Members Recruited from the Niagara Community

The Age-Friendly Niagara Council (AFNC) is now legally incorporated and has a Founding Board of volunteer directors who were recruited from the Niagara community. They represent a cross section of our community from various parts of Niagara and represent each of four generations that make up our community.

Consistent with the AFNC vision of “an age-friendly Niagara – a community for all ages”, the AFNC Bylaws requires Board members with at least one person in each of four 25-year categories: under the age of 25; between the ages of 25 and 50; of 50 and 75; and over 75 years of age.

The age-friendly movement in Niagara, which aligns with the 8 age-friendly domains identified by the World Health Organization (WHO), began as a community-led grassroots organization of volunteers in 2009. The movement has developed and continues in Niagara today, except with greater opportunities for sustainability and future development due to its new legal status and formal organizational structure.

Although, over the years, Age-Friendly Community leaders in Niagara have been successful in partnering with several community organizations to secure grants totaling over half a million dollars, now as an incorporated nonprofit organization, opportunities expand for future AFNC revenue streams including memberships, sponsorships, grants and donations.

The former AFNC Interim Board oversaw a recruitment process and attracted many applicants, from which the Founding Board members were selected by utilizing a matrix tool to bring together a broad and talented group of passionate age-friendly advocates. The Founding Board endeavours to carry out the action plans identified in the most recent Niagara Aging Strategy and Action Plan, which stemmed from a survey of over 1,200 older adults across Niagara.

Click here to see names and biographies of the community members who stepped up to volunteer, to advance the Age-Friendly Communities movement in the Niagara region of Ontario.