Kirsty Staunton

Ageing Well Programme Lead 

Kirsty Staunton has worked on issues around age, ageing and the VCSE for 30 years. She began her career as an advice worker with Age Concern Richmond (now Age UK) before moving onto manage a healthy living programme for older people in Camden. “Well & Wise” brought together LB Camden, NHS, VCSE and older people in a 5 year project to improve healthy ageing and wellbeing in the local area. She then moved onto work for Age Concern England research and development unit working nationally on service models and governance. In 2007 she began work as independent consultant and trainer working with amongst others Age UK England, Age UK London, MIND, British Red Cross, Relate, PRAMA Care and the Beth Johnson Foundation. 

In 2014 she founded Ageing without Children www.awoc.org.uk to raise awareness of and campaign for the increasing number of older people without children. In ths capacity she has appeared on Womans Hour, Victoria Derbyshire show and BBC Breakfast as well writing articles for The Guardian and being interviewed by The Times, the Independent, The Telegraph , The Express and he Daily Mail. She has recorded a number of podcasts and given evidence in person to the APPG on housing and older people and the House of Lords inquiry into Adult Social Care. She has also given guest lectures at the University of Bologna on Ageing without Children and authored a number of reports, blogs and toolkits including “working with the invisible million” for the National Care Forum. 

She moved to North Somerset in 2017 and  joined VANS in 2021 to work on the Mass Vaccination programme for Covid19. In 2022 she moved onto lead the Ageing Well Programme at VANS. 

Outside of work Kirsty is learning Portuguese and enjoys baking and circuit training.