Spokespeople

Caroline Abrahams - Charity Director

Caroline oversees Age UK’s influencing work and positioning, covering policy and research, public affairs and campaigns, engagement with older people, media and PR and (charity) content and brand. She is also the charity’s lead spokesperson. Before joining Age UK she worked in the voluntary sector, as a senior civil service and policy advisor, and for the Local Government Association. A former chair of the End Child Poverty campaign Caroline is particularly interested in the future of health and social care and tackling poverty and inequality.

Jane Vass - Director of Policy and Research

Jane leads and develops Age UK’s policy & research. Her team collets and commissions research to ensure that we understand people’s experiences and views in later life, develops policy solutions to help make the UK a great place to grow older, and advises the Age UK Trustees on what our position should be on topics ranging from pensions to loneliness, form housing to technology. Jane has a background in consumer affairs, with a focus on pensions and money issues.

Hannah Pearce and Angela Kitching - Joint Head of External Affairs

Hannah Pearce and Angela Kitching have both worked for Age UK for over a decade and have job shared since 2011.

Angela and Hannah’s role is to influence the UK Government on issues of concern to older people, to lead Age UK’s work in Westminster with politicians and parliamentarians and to develop and implement the charity’s public campaigns. They support a team who work to influence decision-makers to improve life for older people in the UK and beyond.

Ruthe Isden - Head of Health Influencing

Ruthe leads Age UK’s external advocacy work on health and social care for older people. Ruthe’s policy interests include health and social care integration, public service reform in the context of an ageing population and improving patient experience.