AGE is on the agenda of a city MP following a visit to a charity’s centre.

Mark Lancaster went to the Peartree Centre last week following the merger of Age Concern and Help the Aged, now known as Age UK.

At a breakfast meeting, celebrating the charity’s award of the ‘National HIA Quality Mark’ by home improvement agency Foundations, Mr Lancaster discovered the facts about the city’s growing population.

According to figures from the Milton Keynes Observatory, the number of 60 to 80 year olds will double by 2031, reaching 61,800. Meanwhile the number of over 80s in the city will see an increase of 200 per cent.

This surge will see an increase in demand for the services provided by Age UK, which according to its bosses are currently oversubscribed.

Mr Lancaster said: “It was good to go back to the Peartree Centre and hear about the fantastic work they are doing there and across the city. We hear a lot about the aging population of the UK but nowhere is this more the case than in MK where the once ‘young city’ is forecasting a massive increase is older citizens. I am impressed by how many dedicated volunteers they have and we must ensure that organisations like this continue to be able to provide care for the people who deserve it.”

Alongside fellow city MP Iain Stewart Mr Lancaster heard from Tom Wright CBE, the chief executive of the national arm of Age UK.

Locally the charity depends on its 257 mainly part-time employees and 450 volunteers.

Age UK Milton Keynes is one of the 33 Age Concerns which has changed its name.