thinkpublic prototyped The After Work Club, a new social venture to help older people keep connected, active and motivated as they transition from full-time work into retirement.
During our research, mainly focused on older professional men, we found that many struggled with the lack of structure and camaraderie in their lives once they stopped work.
As we continue to live longer, the idea of pottering about for a couple of years, going on a cruise and playing some golf no longer cuts it. We can live for over 30 years in “retirement”. People have a huge amount still to offer, they want to do more and they do not want to be labelled “retired”.
We also found that the retirement process can feel like a “cliff edge” where people go from working full pelt to doing nothing in a very sudden way. They may have thought about their financial security but there is little to prepare them for a life that they need to structure for themselves.
The After Work Club functions in 2 ways.
Firstly there are regular meet ups which feature talks from inspirational older people who have used retirement as an opportunity to do great things, as well as informal networking and drinks. These are supported by an online hub www.theafterworkclub.co.uk where inspirational stories are housed, networks and discussions can be formed and events organised.
We hope that with the support of The After Work Club this time of life can be the start of an exciting new chapter where the wisdom and skills of this demographic can be appreciated and valued.