Meet the Ambassadors

Annie – Age Friendly Hertfordshire Lead Ambassador

Annie Stevenson is the Programme Lead Ambassador for Age Friendly: Live Better Hertfordshire. A lifelong Hertfordshire resident, Annie lives in St Albans and is passionate about helping make Hertfordshire a place where everyone can age well. She is also a carer for her 102-year-old mother, giving her first-hand insight into the different experiences of later life. As Annie often reflects, although they are both technically classed as “older people”, they represent two very different generations with very different life experiences.

Annie has spent her entire career listening to and supporting people. She began as a hospital social worker before becoming a senior social work manager with Westminster City Council. She then dedicated more than 20 years to improving the lives of older people through the voluntary sector, including ten years as National Care Policy Adviser for Help the Aged. Following the organisation’s merger with Age UK, Annie continued working as an independent social care consultant until retiring in 2020.

A turning point came in 2007 when Annie discovered the World Health Organization’s work on Age-Friendly Communities. Its vision continues to inspire her voluntary work today and is at the heart of everything she does with the programme.

In 2023–24, Annie served as Mayoress of the City and District of St Albans alongside her partner, Mayor Cllr Anthony Rowlands. Their theme, All Ages Together, celebrated the power of connecting generations to tackle loneliness and strengthen communities.

As Programme Lead Ambassador, Annie supports the countywide team by sharing her experience, championing age-friendly principles and helping shape the future of the programme. She is particularly passionate about challenging ageism, improving accessibility, creating inclusive public spaces and encouraging intergenerational projects that bring communities together.

Annie believes that creating age-friendly communities benefits everyone, regardless of age. Through listening to local people, building partnerships and inspiring others to get involved, she hopes to continue to help make Hertfordshire a place where everyone can live well, stay connected and thrive as they grow older.

Mike – Age Friendly Ambassador

After spending 40 years working in an office, Mike Eve made a big change and became a fitness instructor in Letchworth, where he has now been working for the past six years.

Keeping fit and strong is incredibly important to Mike, and this has developed into a real passion for helping other people of a similar age and older to stay active too — whatever their individual abilities.

Mike spends his working week delivering fitness classes both in the gym and out in the community. He is also involved with the Wellbeing Hub in Willian and works with care homes, providing seated exercise, activities and games.

As an Age Friendly Ambassador, Mike hopes to encourage more people to recognise what they can do as they get older and to show that staying active can be accessible, enjoyable and sociable.

Being connected to Age Friendly allows Mike to share useful information and opportunities with older people.

Saumya – Age Friendly Ambassador

Saumya Mishra is the Managing Director of Walfinch Home Care Watford & Hemel Hempstead and has a real passion for community, wellbeing and bringing people together.

Saumya says she has always believed that everyone deserves to feel respected, valued and included, particularly as they get older.

For her, becoming an Age Friendly Ambassador is an opportunity to listen to older people and better understand what matters to them, the challenges they face and what could make their everyday lives better.

She is particularly interested in community activities and initiatives that bring people together, as well as loneliness and social connection, wellbeing, independence and digital inclusion. She would also like to help raise awareness of the services, activities and opportunities available to older people.

Saumya says:

“For me, an age-friendly Hertfordshire is one where older people feel seen, heard, safe and connected, where they can continue to be independent, take part in community life and access the support and opportunities they need.”

As an Ambassador, Saumya hopes to listen, connect and get involved, learning from older people’s experiences and playing her part in making Hertfordshire a friendlier and more inclusive place to grow older.

Shanira – Age Friendly Ambassador

Shanira is a recent college leaver with a passion for helping people, strengthening communities and making sure everyone has a voice. Having recently completed her Level 3 Uniformed Protective Services qualification, Shanira hopes to pursue a career in policing. Her commitment to helping others began much earlier, having first started volunteering at just 13.

Growing up as a young carer also gave Shanira an early understanding of the importance of looking out for others. Over the years, she has volunteered with the Hertfordshire Police Cadets, Stevenage Youth Council, Lister Hospital and raised money for Cancer Research UK and Alzheimer’s Society.

She now volunteers with the Hertfordshire Youth Commission, working alongside other young people to improve safety in Hertfordshire and ensure their experiences help shape positive change across the county. Through this work, Shanira has spoken publicly about issues including knife crime and joint enterprise, presented research findings, engaged with schools and young people, and built positive relationships across policing and the wider Hertfordshire community.

Now, as an Age Friendly Ambassador, Shanira is bringing her experience, enthusiasm and caring nature to supporting older people. She is particularly passionate about bringing generations together, listening to older residents and helping create a Hertfordshire where people of every age feel heard, valued, connected and safe.

Mary – Age Friendly Ambassador

Mary lives in Welwyn and brings a wealth of life experience, community spirit and a willingness to speak up to her role as an Age Friendly Ambassador.

Her varied career has taken her from housing management and construction to becoming a Medical Herbalist and, later, a Humanist Funeral Celebrant – work she found immensely important and rewarding.

Now in her seventies and mostly retired, Mary remains active in her community. She runs a weekly circle and world dance group in Welwyn Garden City, volunteers, walks regularly and goes to the gym. She’s also passionate about improving her local area:

“I’m one of those people who reports potholes rather than just moaning about them!”

Animals are another big part of Mary’s life. She cares for 11 rescue chickens, two cats and the wildlife visiting her garden, and has been rescuing chickens from the egg industry for nearly ten years.

Mary became an Age Friendly Ambassador because she believes older people’s skills, experience and contribution can too easily be overlooked. She highlights the enormous contribution retired people make to the voluntary sector and wants older people to feel valued rather than invisible.

She is also passionate about tackling everyday barriers, from poorly designed ticket machines and self-service tills to unreliable buses and services that rely heavily on apps and websites. Sight or hearing loss and digital exclusion can make seemingly simple tasks much harder.

As an Ambassador, Mary wants to speak up about the challenges older people encounter while also celebrating the positive difference they continue to make.

“We can make a positive difference if the conditions are right to enable us to flourish.”

Julia – Age Friendly Ambassador

Julia is a Customer Relations Manager at Oakview Lodge in Welwyn Garden City and has spent her career working within social care, supporting older people and their families.

Passionate about making a positive difference, Julia helps families navigate their journey through care, providing reassurance, support and guidance when making important choices for their loved ones.

Community connection is already a huge part of Julia’s everyday role. She loves building relationships with local organisations, bringing people together, sharing ideas and creating opportunities for residents, families and the wider community to connect.

As an Age Friendly Ambassador, Julia can build on the work she is already doing every day – sharing her experience, strengthening local connections and helping more people and organisations play their part in making Hertfordshire a great place to grow older.

Neha – Age Friendly Ambassador

Dr Neha Jain Vigh is the Managing Director of Caremark Dacorum, a doctor‑owned home care service supporting adults across Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring and the surrounding villages.

Neha has been an NHS GP for many years, working across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, and has spent much of her career supporting older adults, people living with dementia, Parkinson’s, frailty, long‑term conditions and those needing extra help to stay safe and comfortable at home. Her background gives her a deep understanding of the challenges many families face, from navigating care needs to staying independent, connected and confident in later life.

She has worked closely with hospital teams, social workers, community nurses and local support services, which means she understands how important it is for care at home to feel joined‑up, reassuring and tailored to each person’s needs. This experience helps Caremark Dacorum create care plans that are thoughtful, well‑coordinated and shaped by a strong understanding of ageing and the realities of everyday life.

Alongside running a home care service, Neha is passionate about community wellbeing. She leads Caremark Dacorum’s Wellbeing Hubs, which bring people together through friendly social mornings, gentle activities, information sessions, dementia‑friendly support, and opportunities to connect with others. These hubs are designed to reduce loneliness, build confidence, and make sure people feel part of a caring local community.

Neha’s approach is rooted in kindness, dignity and genuine human connection. Her goal is simple: to help people live well at home, stay independent for as long as possible, and feel supported by a team that truly understands their needs.

Tvisha – Age Friendly Ambassador

At 16, Tvisha brings a fantastic intergenerational perspective to the Age Friendly Ambassador programme. She hopes to study medicine and has a real passion for connecting with people and making a difference in her community.

Tvisha is President of Hendon Leo’s, helping lead youth volunteering projects, and also volunteers at Watford General Hospital and The Hospice of St Francis.

One of her favourite roles is as a befriender with ReachOut Hertfordshire, where she visits an older person each week. Sharing the same languages has helped them form a strong connection and shown Tvisha first-hand the difference that conversation, companionship and simply listening can make.

Outside volunteering, Tvisha enjoys portrait painting and Bollywood dance, having previously performed at the Royal Albert Hall.

As an Ambassador, she is particularly passionate about tackling loneliness, encouraging intergenerational connections and helping older people feel valued, heard and connected to their communities.

“I would love to help make Hertfordshire a place where people can age with confidence and a strong sense of belonging.”

Myk – Age Friendly Ambassador

At 84, Myk says his hobby is “perhaps, volunteering” – something he has been doing for more than 60 years.

Myk is a retired Government scientist, with particular experience in air pollution monitoring and abatement. Alongside his career, he has volunteered with the youth service in Hertfordshire for more than six decades.

A qualified Mountain Leader, Myk has led groups of young and older people in the British mountains since 1975. He has reached the highest mountains in Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland, as well as Norway and Spain, both solo and with others. His adventures have also taken him to mountains in France, Greece and the USA.

Over the years, Myk has instructed young people from schools, youth clubs, cadet groups, children’s homes and pupil referral units in activities including canoeing, rock climbing, sailing, caving and mountaineering. He is also a qualified First Aider and remains involved in Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions, training, supervising and assessing young people.

His volunteering and interests have extended beyond the outdoors too. Myk has helped lead groups of mature students around art galleries, museums and churches, mainly in Italy, as well as France, Greece and Turkey.

Today, Myk lives in a retirement community, where he does what he can to promote activities and events and support his neighbours in their daily lives. He is also a leader for Hertfordshire Health Walks.

Myk’s partner is disabled and uses an electric buggy, which has made him particularly aware of accessibility issues including transport and building access, uneven footpaths, badly positioned street furniture and a lack of dropped kerbs.

For Myk, these experiences are all part of his motivation for becoming an Age Friendly Ambassador.