At their meeting on August 12, 2024, the Select Board voted unanimouisly to support the recommendation of the Council on Aging and rename the Senior Center at 169 Westford Road to the Center for Active Living. This recommendation from the Council on Aging is a part of on going efforts by the Council to rebrand the center in a way that is more friendly all members of our aging community. In crafting their proposal to the Select Board, the Council on Aging felt that:

Changing the name from Tyngsborough Senior Center to The Center for Active Living will attract our town’s younger seniors. There has been a national debate among senior centers for years about the impact of the word “senior”:

• The Groton, Connecticut, senior center rebranded itself “Thrive 55+” in 2021”.
• Many senior centers have opted to change their name, hoping the change would remove the participation barrier. 
• A 2018 Boston Globe article said that more than 200 senior centers across the state are adding intergenerational programs “to draw baby boomers who have little interest in playing cards or bingo for hours on end. ”Many seniors, especially younger ones, avoid the senior center because of those perceptions. Many later discover the wide array of programs and services offered to all seniors.”

Over the course of the last year, the Council on Aging has worked hard to increase the programs offered, drive new participants into the center, and increase the types of services available. The Council on Aging and Select Board both felt this change was an appropriate step in the right direction.

New signage will be installed soon and formal rebranding event will take place in Summer 2025 when the center celebrates its 10 year anniversary in the currnet building.

The governing body of the Center for Active Living will continue to be referred to as the Council on Aging as defined by its enabling bylaw. 

To learn more about the programs and services available at the Center for Active Living, please contact them directly by calling 978-649-9211.