New 50+ product fails after 2 years despite £20 million budget

Margaret Hughes (Guardian) wrote about this failure in her Saturday article.

It doesn’t appear that any ‘heads are to roll’ or share prices to plunge because this is a Government, not a corporate product. After 2 years the Experience Corp, the ‘initiative’ that was to encourage the 50+ to ‘do their bit’. Or, as they very succinctly put it ‘You could be a very practical person or a good organiser. Perhaps you’re great with computers or a keen gardener. You might have been a high-flying lawyer or even a chief executive. Or you could simply be a good listener.’ Nothing like a clear focus.

It looks like this venture failed for two main reasons. Firstly, ‘government initiatives’ have a very low success rate - not a political point but a fact. Secondly, the way the Experience Corp went about things looks like it broke most of the rules of marketing. It is nice to hear that the Home Office have ‘learnt a number of lessons about attracting older volunteers’.


Web sites are a great way of getting a feel about how focused and clear an organisation is about it role in life. I will say no more than have a look at the Experience Corp’s site. Now have a look at the US equivalent. So what is £20 million down the drain? Plenty more where that came from.

When you go to the US site have a look at the research they have done about the 50+.