Nine citizens have been honoured for their role in promoting active ageing, in an award ceremony held online on Friday evening due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The nine winners were praised by President George Vella, who serves as patron of the annual active ageing prizes.

President Vella said Malta had yet to fully embrace the concept of active ageing and said that more focus should be placed on ageing and tackling loneliness.

“This pandemic, which has not allowed us to live the normality we had got used to - at least for a few more months - has clearly shown us how harsh loneliness is,” he said.

“A society that does not honour its seniors would be a really poor society. Let us not forget that today’s elderly were the young people of the not-so-distant past,” he said.

Parliamentary secretary for active ageing Silvio Parnis said it was important for people to remain active as they aged, and said the government had launched an active ageing strategy for the years to 2027 recently.

Parliamentary secretary Silvio Parnis. Photo: DOI

Parnis said this was an especially challenging year for senior citizens, given the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was therefore especially important for them to stay healthy and active.

Nine people were awarded prizes in nine different categories. A tenth category, for married couples, remained vacant as nominees did not meet eligibility criteria.

Winners:

Active ageing prize – Philip Chircop

Academic ageing prize – Doris Cannataci

Sports ageing prize – Lawrence Bugeja  

Ideal model prize – Lilian Plumpton  

Cultural active ageing prize – Paul Fenech

Intergenerational solidarity prize – Mario Theresa Camilleri  

Active ageing in residential care homes prize – Gaetano D’Amico

Grandparent of the year – Frangiska Briffa

Tribute prize – Alfred Lewis