It is a great pleasure, as mayor, to welcome you to Town Hall and to celebrate the creation of the Lambeth Pensioners Action Group.

For 40 years the LAMPAG has been fighting on behalf of our borough’s older residents, seeking to ensure dignity and respect for all in old age.

It is a worthy cause, which can too often be neglected and overlooked. The LAMPAG has been at the forefront of ensuring that this has not been allowed to happen. Whether it be recent opposition to plans to end free TV licenses for the over 75s campaigning to protect adult social care and maybe most importantly of all secure the future of our NHS.

Almost all of this continues to be achieved through self-reliance and the support of local members whilst maintaining a non-party, non-sectarian position and reflecting Lambeth’s diverse cultural make-up.

So thank you to current chair Ellen Lebethe as well as everyone past and present, who have done so much to highlight the challenges, faced by older people not only in Lambeth but across the world. And let us continue to celebrate the contribution made by older people to our community, economy and society.

Here’s to another wonderful 40 years of struggle and success!