Mervyn Kohler:
Head of Public Affairs, Help the Aged

Mervyn Kohler has been Head of Public Affairs at Help the Aged since 1984. This involves monitoring developments with a bearing on older people across Government and Parliament and the private and voluntary sector, and looking for opportunities for the Charity to participate in new initiatives. He contributes both to the formation of the Charity's policy position, and to its communication with the outside world at conferences, seminars and the media. He represents Help the Aged on a range of committees, groups and working parties, and currently serves on the Government's Fuel Poverty Advisory Group. As the political importance of older people has increased, and the raft of issues affecting older people has grown, he has tended to focus on subjects around incomes, poverty, and the broad macro-economic themes.

He has held posts on a number of Charity trustee bodies and non-governmental organisations.