Top 10 Best Days Out for Over 65’s

• Natural History Museum tops list of Best Days Out for Over 60’s
• The National Space Centre is in 2nd, while the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh is a close 3rd
• Results determined by criteria including Admission/Senior Discount, Blue Badge Parking, On-Site Assistance, Wheelchair Accessibility, Deaf/Hard of Hearing Accessibility and Number of Cafes, Restaurants and Rest Areas
• Research conducted by Age UK finds that 1 in 3 (4.4million) or 36% of over 60’s feel less motivated to do the things they enjoy

Research carried out by Care Specialists New Care Homes has revealed the best days out for over 60’s in the UK this summer. 

The team compiled information on some of the UK’s most popular museums, art galleries, botanical gardens and stately homes and gardens and scored them out of a possible 100 to find out which could offer the best days out for older people across the UK. 

Key criteria that was scored includes the cost of admission / senior discounts, blue badge parking, on-site assistance and accessibility, number of cafes, restaurants and rest areas.

As the UK begins to open up, there are now more opportunities than ever before to get out and explore. However, for many older people across the UK, getting out and visiting some of our national institutions can be a challenge, especially when it comes to things like accessibility, walking distances and opportunities to have a rest and grab some refreshments.

And the Covid-19 pandemic has only created more uncertainty. A survey carried out by Age UK finds that 1 in 3 (4.4million) or 36% of over 60’s feel less motivated to do the things they enjoy, while another survey conducted by the ONS found that two in five (39%) over 70s said they felt unsafe and unsure when outside of their home.

Reflecting on the findings Dawn Collett, Commissioning Director at New Care Homes, hopes the results will give older people more confidence to go out and see some spectacular events and venues across the country. 

“The Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly had an impact on the health of older people across the UK. When lockdowns came into effect many struggled to maintain a healthy level of physical difficulty. And as the surveys by the Age UK and ONS have indicated, issues such as anxiety, depression and isolation have increased as a result, which has had a considerable and lasting impact on their mental health. 

“As the UK begins to come out of lockdown and measures ease, there are now more opportunities for older people to stay active and find engaging activities. Museums, art galleries, botanical gardens and stately homes often have excellent facilities and allow visitors to explore at a pace that suits them, which makes them a perfect choice for a day out.  

“We hope this list will help inspire people to head out and explore these amazing venues, and be safe in the knowledge that they will have the best help and support on hand throughout their visit.”

The Results  

Rank	Venue	Type	Total score	Location
1	Natural History Museum	Museum	95	London
2	National Space Centre	Museum	93.8	Leicester
3	Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh	Botanical Garden	93.2	Edinburgh
4	The Whitworth	Art Gallery	93	Manchester
5	Victoria and Albert Museum	Museum	92.5	London
6	Lyme Park	Historic House + Garden	92.1	Cheshire
7	Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum	Art Gallery	92.1	Glasgow
8	British Museum	Museum	92	London
9	The Eden Project	Botanical Gardens	92	Cornwall
10	Royal Academy of Arts	Art Galleries	92	London

A spreadsheet with the full results can be found here

According to the NHS, Older adults (60+)  should aim to do some type of physical activity every day and offer this advice:

• Try to be physically active every day. Any activity is better than none. The more you do the better, even if it’s just light activity

• Do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity if you are already active, or a combination of both

• Do activities that improve strength, balance, and flexibility on at least 2 days a week

• Reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity