By Andrea Hargraves 
A few years ago, Peter Mangan listed a country house in County Kerry, southwest Ireland, on Airbnb after going to the capital, Dublin, for work. Father Owen was responsible for being the host. At 70 years old, he was a widower and somewhat isolated, but life changed with the reception and interaction with guests: meeting people of the same age group brought more joy to daily life, which had begun to be filled with activities such as playing golf. Go out to dinner or go for a walk.
When Peter saw how his father became happier, he thought the same could happen to other people at that age, and thus the idea of creating the Freebird Club, a “social community” in 2017, was born. connected “Cultural exchange, travel and accommodation for people over 50 to meet others, in their area or in desired destinations,” explains the platform’s director in Portugal, Miguel Botelho Martins, to Expresso. There are several possibilities: you could be an on-site host or book stays at other members' homes, in your country or abroad, as well as plan trips together or just exchange tips and tricks.
“The goal is to create a tool to combat loneliness among older people, and to promote the creation of meaningful social connections, that is, real friendships. The goal is to empower them or empower them with new tourism travel opportunities and to promote digital inclusion, as well as social inclusion, through Developing a platform that everyone can easily use, regardless of their digital knowledge.”
At the same time, the idea is to counter the “very negative perspective” towards aging, prevalent in a “very old” society. The director recalls a study he read when he was living in Asia, in which “thousands of people were asked what the first word came to mind when they thought of aging.” He points out that “the answer in Japan was wisdom, and in Western society it was amnesia.” “One of the main goals is to change this negative focus we place on aging.”
Gary John Norman
Loneliness and isolation particularly affect older age groups, and the situation has worsened with the Covid-19 pandemic. The platform followed the evolution: while in the initial phase it was “very oriented” towards hosting, after that period it adopted a “more comprehensive” vision. Peter's father is an example of someone who “received enormous benefits, but never traveled outside his area.” “What we wanted was for it to be as comprehensive as possible. It is for people who love to travel and for those who love to help others discover the places where they live. “We have expanded the scope of the platform,” sums up the person in charge.
To join you must fill out the registration form Registrationcomplete a profile outlining interests and preferences – to facilitate communications – and make payment. You can choose between three tariffs: three months (€19.90), six months (€29.90), or 12 months (€47.90). There are currently about 21 thousand subscribers, distributed in 41 countries. The startup has already won European awards for social innovation and healthy aging, and in Portugal, where it decided to invest this year, the company has 3,000 members.
Population aging is an “international demographic phenomenon,” but it is “particularly important in Portugal,” says Miguel Botelho Martins. He adds: “There are more than 500,000 elderly people who live alone.” At the same time, our country is “a very popular tourist destination, especially among this age group,” and on the platform it is already the “fourth most popular country.”
Club members share “a spirit of adventure, a great passion for travel and cultural exchange,” as well as a search for experiences that allow them to “meet people with similar interests and create memories.” As for the future, the goal is to reach 100,000 subscribers by the end of 2027 and contribute to “developing mechanisms” to interact with “demographic change” that is “about to continue.”
Launched in 2022, Longevity is an Expresso project – supported by Novartis – with the ambition of looking at public policies around longevity, discussing our individual and social behaviors with one goal: that we can all live better and longer. This project is supported by our sponsors, with all content created, edited and produced by Expresso (see code of conduct), without external interference.