The first major public appearance of the Better Government for Older People takes place today and tomorrow as a meeting is held in the Brighton Centre.

Talks and discussions on the future of the Older People's Council will culminate in the opportunity for people over 60 to vote for a shadow council which will represent their interests in the deliberations of Brighton and Hove City Council on any matter which may affect the well being of older citizens.

Following the emergence of the shadow council, there will be elections alongside the normal council elections every four years, starting in 2003, following the establishment of an electoral roll next year.

A number of people have let their names go forward as possible representatives in the shadow election and their ability to put the case for the Third Age without being seen as a collection of whingers with an axe to grind is very important.

There is only so much that can be paid for out of the public purse and, while there is much that could be done to make life easier for older folk, it would be unwise and unrealistic to expect a wave of a wand to achieve such a result.

We must be seen to be aware of the difficulties facing the city council, already facing a very large shortfall in its budget, and be prepared to work with councillors rather than demand special consideration.

My fear is that we may end up with yet one more layer of governance, which will not be cheap, and even more focus groups and talking shops which will mop up scarce resources.

If you want to have some influence over the fate of the shadow council, make sure you vote during the show.

There will be people on hand to answer your questions, demonstrations of various articles to ease the lifestyles of older person, talks and discussions. Best of all, admission is free. There will be some 74 exhibiting companies ranging from providers of leisure services and tourism to life-long learning and other specialist providers of services for older folk.

There will also be entertainment, including tea dances, jazz, and an internet cafe.

The city has gone to considerable trouble to make the occasion memorable and, one hopes, productive for the large number of senior citizens who live in Brighton and Hove.

That is the public face of the event. There is also a very important conference for the policy makers and decision makers, who will include a speaker from Denmark where the Older Citizens Council is already established.

The event has been able to attract other powerful speakers. Among them are Ian McCartney, Minister of State for Pensions, Gordon Lishman, the Director General of Age Concern and Michael Lake, who is the Director General of Help the Aged. Some of the speakers will also take part in public discussions, lectures and seminars.

One of the aims of the Older People's Council is to work alongside other organisations, such as the NHS, Age Concern and voluntary services, and they will be represented at the seminars and exhibitions. When you think of the terrible stories coming out almost daily from the NHS concerning the treatment of elderly folk, it is clear any input from the NHS which might help matters can only be welcome.

All in all, this impressive project should bring benefits to the senior residents of the city. But it will only work if we of the Third Age do our part by voting and by helping our representatives to make our voice heard.