SCORE: locally led change for older people

Strengthening civil society for older people’s rights and engagement

SCORE is a global programme that supports civil society organisations to become stronger, more connected and more effective champions for older people’s rights.

Working through locally led organisations in eight countries, SCORE builds leadership, strengthens advocacy and supports collective action to challenge ageism and ensure older people’s voices shape the decisions that affect their lives.

Latest from SCORE

Stories, updates and learning from across the SCORE programme, showcasing how civil society organisations are strengthening older people's rights, influencing change and amplifying older people's voices.

Organisational strengthening in practice: FAID’s SCORE journey

FAID’s experience in Pakistan shows how strong civil society organisations advance older people’s rights.

Empowering local leadership: how SCORE’s participatory grants are strengthening civil society

SCORE is shifting power to local civil society, using participatory grants to strengthen rights, voice and lasting change for older people.

SCORE: supporting locally led change for older people

HelpAge launches SCORE project to support civil society leadership across nine countries

Why SCORE matters

Around the world, older people continue to face age discrimination, exclusion from decision-making and barriers to accessing their rights. Civil society organisations play a crucial role in changing this by ensuring older people’s voices are heard and advocating for more inclusive policies and services.

But many organisations are working in increasingly difficult circumstances. Limited funding, shrinking civic space, humanitarian crises, conflict and climate change all make it harder to support the communities they serve.

SCORE helps HelpAge network members build stronger, more resilient organisations. Through leadership development, advocacy training and peer learning, members are strengthening their capacity to influence change, work together across countries and regions, and advance the rights of older people.

SCORE gave me a space to speak about the struggles older women like me face every day: poor access to healthcare, financial insecurity and feeling overlooked. Sometimes we do not need immediate solutions; what matters most is that someone listens, understands and includes us.

Ms. Sumaira, 79, Pakistan

Where SCORE works and who is involved

Ethiopia: HelpAge Ethiopia
Moldova: HelpAge Moldova
Mozambique: HelpAge Mozambique
Myanmar: Age Myanmar
Lebanon: Amel Association Ageing Unit
Pakistan: Foundation for Ageing and Inclusive Development (FAID)
Tanzania: HelpAge Tanzania
Uganda: HelpAge Advocacy Network Uganda (HANU)

What SCORE does

SCORE works with civil society organisations to:

Build stronger leadership, governance and more effective organisations.
Strengthen advocacy skills to influence change at local, national and global levels.
Challenge ageism and promote the rights, dignity and inclusion of older people.
Foster stronger partnerships and collaboration across civil society.
Support older people to play a meaningful role in the decisions that affect their lives.
Share knowledge, evidence and practical learning across countries and regions.

Stay connected

Sign up to receive monthly SCORE updates, stories of change, learning from across the programme and opportunities to connect with organisations working to advance older people’s rights.

SCORE is an opportunity for us to strengthen our work with and for older people. With this support, we can build stronger connections across the HelpAge network, advocate more effectively, and ensure that older people’s voices are heard at every level.

Smart Daniel, Executive Director, HelpAge Tanzania

SCORE programme is supported by Sweden and implemented by the HelpAge global network.