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ghetto that is ignored by the young and active. It encourages the old to take part, to innovate, to support themselves and youngsters, to become young at heart. At a recent celebration that toasted ten years of support for the project by Vogt the author, Judith Giovannelli Blocher pleaded, "old humans are the salt of the society", and a Swiss report concluded that "resources of older humans are decisively underestimated."


Would the system transplant to the United Kingdom? The British people loves freedom and prize their independence more than their community. The German system relies on regular habits and a willingness to sacrifice freedom for the greater good of all. The British youngster is often a loud, uncouth youth whose bedroom is an impregnable fortress that broadcasts his choice of music to the four winds. German sound insulation standards for apartments set a far higher standard than British building regulations. A society reliant on antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) for social discipline is unlikely to produce older people confident that their area’s tearaway will not come roaring along the communal path perched precariously on top of a monkey bike. Social engineering exemplified by a controlled ratio of 0.33 young to 0.33 old in the housing mix do not appeal to the British who aver their support for multiculturalism yet cluster together on homogeneous estates.


Having said that, there is room for similar projects as experiments in living. They will be attractive to a minority of like-minded people who value highly community spirit. Communes have long existed on the edge of British society and these German schemes formalise and underpin the informal structures


that evolve in successful communes. They have the benefit of being central to the wider communities in which they are based, and they are not an alien, threatening form, an outlaw encampment beyond the comprehension of most inhabitants. As Britain’s population profile shifts ever upwards, our society needs to recognise and savour its “salt of society”. If we embrace the evergreen ever-young and value their talents, society will, perhaps, fear less its yawning “pensions gap”.


A RESPONSE IN THE U.K. :


neighbourhood warden schemes to help young and old


Help the Aged has been awarded £175,000 by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister(ODPM) for new dedicated wardens to help older people in three pilot projects - based in Hull (East Yorkshire), Walsall (West Midlands) and Boscombe (Dorset).


The new warden service provides reassurance for older residents, reducing isolation and the fear of crime. It can equip alarm services, organise community events and other support for vulnerable older people. The new wardens’ work ties in with the Government’s Cleaner, Safer, Greener agenda, and includes:


Visiting vulnerable older people;


Offering 'HandyVan', a home security and safety service with a trained fitter who calls at the home of an older person, by appointment only, to carry out a free home security check. A range of security devices, such as


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door and window locks, are then installed free of charge;


Liaising with relevant agencies on the removal of graffiti, litter, etc;


Providing a reassuring presence for older people;


Providing ‘SeniorLink’, a 24- hour immediate telephone response service, and other personal alarms for older residents who may be vulnerable.


Help the Aged and ODPM expect the programme to increase the quality of life for older people in their communities.


JUNIOR WARDENS


This year this scheme has enrolled more than 300 young people aged 13 to 19 who work closely with local schools providing help with activities, including art and sport. The junior warden programme is designed to promote better citizenship and introduce young people to different and diverse sectors of society.


Nationally, Neighbourhood Wardens work in the community, acting as a bridge between disaffected and socially isolated sections of the community who might not use those services provided for their benefit by local bodies. The Neighbourhood Renewal Unit in the ODPM has provided matched funding for 245 warden schemes.


The wardens’ semi-official, uniformed presence should provide reassurance and a recognisable point of contact, promoting and assisting community safety, peace of mind, and may help to improve the environment. The pilot schemes formally launched in December are built on this model, but provide a service specifically for older people.


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