Andrew Mitchell MP has visited an Age Concern lunch club at The Laurels sheltered housing on Grange Lane in Mere Green to support National Older People’s Day 2010. Mr Mitchell met with Tony Kibble, Field Services Manager for Age Concern Birmingham East and spoke to residents, lunch club attendees and staff at the The Laurels. National Older People’s Day, which this year fell on Friday 1 October, takes place annually, and is a day dedicated to celebrating the achievements and contributions that older people make to society and the economy. To ensure Age Concern Birmingham marked the day locally they held coffee mornings, open days, beach days and Golden Age parties across their offices and day centres in the Sutton Coldfield and Erdington areas. These included their Head Office on Boldmere High Street, and their day centres at the Heathway in Falcon Lodge, the Hurstway at New Oscott (which David Cameron visited in November 2009) and the Laurels in Mere Green. Sutton’s MP, Andrew Mitchell said, “This year’s theme of ‘getting and staying active in later life’ encourages people to prepare well for and enjoy a positive later life which benefits each of us individually and society as a whole. “Congratulations to our local branch of Age Concern; events like these help to tackle negative attitudes and outdated stereotypes by promoting positive images of ageing and helps to ensure that everybody, regardless of age, feels included in our society.” Photo: Andrew Mitchell with Tony Kibble and staff and residents from The Laurels. ',