AS chairman of the Worcester City Forum for Older People when Marina Duffell was a committee member, I was very disappointed to read her recent letter (You Say, Tuesday, September 28).

I was particularly disappointed to read that she misled me over her reason for resigning. I still have her resignation letter in which she cites family reasons and wishes the Forum success in our efforts.

She now claims that the Forum has not been successful, but how does she know, not having been on the committee for over a year?

She wants "substantial" successes, whereas such successes that do occur would be more likely to be small and incremental.

She complains about the "shuffling" of paper, but perhaps she can tell us how we can influence decisions if we do not read the papers in which they are set out and discuss them at meetings.

It's all very well to sit on the sidelines criticising but if older people are to have any influence on decisions made affecting them then they have to involve themselves in the decision-making processes.

Unfortunately, it appears that only a few of us are prepared to do this, and a letter like Marina's does not encourage others to be involved - which is a great pity.

COLIN JONES, Worcester.