National Care Home Provider To Launch Your Vote Counts Campaign
As part of National Voter Registration Day on 5th February, one of the UK’s leading not-for-profit care providers is launching a campaign to help residents living in its care homes have their say in this year’s General Election on 7th May.
The Orders of St John Care Trust’s (OSJCT) Your Vote Counts initiative will launch on 2nd February across its 69 care homes across Lincolnshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire and will set out to proactively encourage residents to vote during the election, as many of the key issues concerning the way older people are treated and cared for have a direct impact on their lives.
OSJCT Strategy Director, Sara Livadeas, said: “Older people living in care homes are too often ignored when it comes to the democratic process. This can’t be right and we’re determined to change it. That’s why we’re launching this innovative campaign to make sure all our residents are supported and empowered to have their say at this election.
“We are working in partnership with the Electoral Commission to make certain that every one of our residents is properly registered before the April deadline. We don’t want our residents to “disappear” from the electoral registers through lack of access or information.”
OSJCT will also identify Voting Champions in each of its care homes, all of whom will receive training from the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi).
Sara Livadeas continued: “We’ve enlisted the support of the NDTi to encourage greater engagement in the political process. With the help of our appointed Voting Champions, we’ll be organising activities in our homes around the important issues – many of which directly affect the lives of older people – and inviting key players on all sides of the political campaigns to come and visit.
“It will be exciting for residents and employees, and we think it’s important that everyone recognises that their vote really counts.”
As part of the campaign, OSJCT will also help residents get to polling stations to place their vote on Election Day.
For more information about OSJCT’s Your Vote Counts campaign, contact Janis Tunaley on 01522 810524.
