HelpAge International’s director of strategic development, Mark Gorman, has been awarded an MBE in the UK New Year Honours for his services to older people.

Mark Gorman joined HelpAge International in 1988 as development officer, helping to expand the fledgling network.

As director of policy development from 1992 to 2007, he led HelpAge International’s advocacy work, generating wider interest in ageing issues and making sure that the voices of older people from developing countries were heard in international policy forums.

Looking ahead, he says: "The next challenge will be to develop a truly global network of equal partners, and to establish ageing as a development issue in its own right."

The MBE came as a complete surprise. "I had no idea I had been recommended for it. I was very pleased to receive this recognition by my colleagues."

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For further information contact:

For further information contact:Julia Pitman, Media Officer on +44 207 278 7778 or email julia@helpage.org

Notes to Editors
HelpAge International has a vision of a world in which all older people fulfil their potential to lead dignified, healthy and secure lives.

HelpAge International is a global network striving for the rights of disadvantaged older people to economic and physical security; healthcare and social services; and support in their caregiving role across the generations.