DUNFERMLINE-born singer Barbara Dickson has given her support to a campaign calling for the voices of older people facing financial hardship in Scotland to be heard.
The star is one of several personalities backing charity Independent Age in calling for an Older People’s Commissioner for Scotland.
The two-time Olivier-winning award actor said: “I’m joining Independent Age to call for an Older People’s Commissioner in Scotland because it’s time my generation had a champion to highlight the issues we face as we age.
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"Poverty is impacting on too many older people in Scotland. 150,000 people over 66 now live in poverty and face a daily battle to make ends meet.
"An independent commissioner to join up government decision making and policies with the needs of older people in mind is urgently needed.”
The charity believes a commissioner in Scotland would ensure the voices of older people are heard by encouraging joined up thinking across all government departments and long-term policy solutions that benefit everyone in later life.
As well as attracting support from famous Scottish faces, the campaign also has the backing of 35 organisations who signed a joint statement launched at the start of May.
The call is also backed by the public, with a recent YouGov poll commissioned by Independent Age showing that almost nine in 10 (89 per cent) of Scottish people over 65 support the creation of a commissioner.
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