This briefing sheet is about lifelong learning for people aged 50+ years and how participation in learning can help maintain and improve mental health and wellbeing in later life. There is no commonly agreed definition of "older" people, and clearly people age at different rates. However, by the mid 50s, for most people retirement is beginning to be a real prospect, age discrimination in the workforce begins to take hold, and those with health difficulties begin to leave work. In 2007, for the first time in the UK, the number of people aged 65 or over was greater than those aged under 16. Most people now under 60 can expect to spend a third of their adult lives in retirement, and for some it will be a half. By 2072, the number of people aged 65 or more will double and those aged over 80 will treble (RCP 2009). Lifelong learning can help people to find meaning and purpose in retirement, enabling them to lead healthy and productive lives for as long as possible.