I was intrigued to read your story last week about research from the Royal Voluntary Service saying that 40% of people over 60 are now charity volunteers helping to plug the gap in social services (The MJ, 30 Jan). This is not evidence of the now discredited Big Society but a common sense way of both ensuring an active life for retirees in their 60s as well as helping the very elderly and infirm. There is no point in assuming that social services can fill the gap caused by a combination of cuts and rising demand because they can't. Increasingly nowaday retirees are fit and active and in a good position to contribute a few hours a week to help those older than themselves.
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