The National Pensioners Convention (NPC) was formed in 1979 to act as the umbrella organisation of the pensioners' movement, throughout the country. Their affiliated groups include many national bodies and federations, associations of retired trade unionists, as well as hundreds of local and regional pensioner campaign groups.

Pensioner movement elects first woman leader
	Britain's biggest pensioner organisation - the National Pensioners Convention (NPC) - has chosen its first female general secretary in its 30 year history.

Dot Gibson, a 74-year-old Londoner from Islington, was elected with 63% of the vote at the NPC's special delegate conference taking place this week in Coventry.

Ms Gibson started her working life with the Transport and General Workers' Union and eventually became a type-setter in publishing. In the early 1990s, she went six times to Bosnia as part of the Workers' Aid convoys and towards the end of the decade edited the Liverpool dockers' newspaper during their 28-month dispute.

For the last four years, Ms Gibson has been a vice president of the NPC and secretary of its Greater London region.

Ms Gibson said: "The campaigns and concerns of Britain's older population are not just for today's pensioners, but for our children and grandchildren. Everyone needs a living state pension that gives them security in retirement without the need for means-testing, and how we care for our ageing society, where they live, the rights they have and the services available to them must also be at the top of the political agenda. With the general election fast approaching, all political parties will have to take the demands of the pensioners' movement seriously and we will be stepping up our campaign to ensure they do."

ENDS

For more information contact Neil Duncan-Jordan on 07940-357-608

·        Ms Gibson is elected for a two-year term of office but is able to re-stand if she wishes

·        The NPC was originally formed in 1979 by Jack Jones, who became its first president

·        The NPC has an affiliated membership of 1.5m active in over 1000 groups across the UK

·        Ms Gibson will appear on Question Time Extra on the BBC News Channel at 11.35pm on 26 March 2009

The NPC DVD is available from the NPC at £3.00 plus post & Packing

• Reports & Photos from Blackpool 2008

• Photos of NPC Parliament by George Henderson

• See Short film of Pensioners Parliament 2006

• National Insurace Fund - an explanation  (PDF)

• Pension, Benefit and Tax Rates from April 2007 to April 2008

• Facts & Figures - Latest Briefing Paper from NPC

• Report on Pension Crisis