Hackney Brocals
History
Hackney Brocals (‘the bros’) are a group of Hackney men aged 50+ who get together to battle the curse of ‘bronliness’ in society. They do this by training to drive 12-seater minibuses and then driving each other on trips in and around London.
Research by Independent Age found that a growing generation of older men are facing a future of increased isolation. The number of older men aged 65+ living alone in the UK is projected to rise by 65% between now and 2030, from 911,000 to 1.5 million.
Older men are more socially isolated than older women: they have significantly less contact with their children, family and friends; visit the GP less frequently than older women, and engage less often with voluntary sector interventions such as lunch clubs and coffee mornings.
Hackney Brocals was set up by Anne-Marie Payne of City & Hackney Carers Centre, a charity running projects supporting unpaid carers and the over-50s in Hackney and the City of London. Brocals was designed to appeal to men through use of language (‘Bro’ + Locals = Brocals) and the element of minibus driver training. The project was funded by Connect Hackney and The Lottery Community Fund as part of the Ageing Better project.
Research by Independent Age found that a growing generation of older men are facing a future of increased isolation. The number of older men aged 65+ living alone in the UK is projected to rise by 65% between now and 2030, from 911,000 to 1.5 million.
Older men are more socially isolated than older women: they have significantly less contact with their children, family and friends; visit the GP less frequently than older women, and engage less often with voluntary sector interventions such as lunch clubs and coffee mornings.
Hackney Brocals was set up by Anne-Marie Payne of City & Hackney Carers Centre, a charity running projects supporting unpaid carers and the over-50s in Hackney and the City of London. Brocals was designed to appeal to men through use of language (‘Bro’ + Locals = Brocals) and the element of minibus driver training. The project was funded by Connect Hackney and The Lottery Community Fund as part of the Ageing Better project.
