Ageing Better programme partners, including Ambition for Ageing, have come together to showcase our learning through a webinar series on Co-Production. We want to inspire others to use the principles of co-production to work collaboratively to achieve a collective aim.

As part of the series, we are presenting ‘Tackling Inequalities through Co-Production: A Spatial Approach’ on Wednesday 17th February. The webinar will offer a practical approach to identifying and co-producing with marginalised groups within your neighbourhood, based on our spatial model. 

Our new briefing shares transferable learning from our Community Navigators project delivered by British Red Cross, that worked with small, tight-knit ethnic minority communities – Bangladeshi communities – in Greater Manchester.

Older people in these communities are at higher risk of social isolation and some community members are at particularly high risk due to intersecting barriers from multiple factors.

The briefing shares recommendations around how you can work effectively with these communities to reduce social isolation.

This briefing draws from our Working Potential programme and GMCVO-programme Caring, Working, Living to share what barriers carers face when seeking employment.

In the briefing, we share recommendation for those planning employment projects for carers, for employers, and for policy makers and local government. 

Pictured: Working Potential participants in Bolton

We are seeking a Policy Officer to work in partnership with the Greater Manchester BAME Network to deliver a project which seeks to support community organisations to play a larger role in debates on ageing policy within Greater Manchester.

Deadline: Thursday 18th February

The latest GMOPN newsletter shares their latest news, including the new GMOPN website, updates from their Old Frame, New Picture campaign, updates from their working groups in health and social care, housing and transport, as well as participation opportunities for their members.

Thursday 18th March, Online

This webinar will consider the existing data concerning the quality of the housing stock and health impacts. It will review evidence from a new study carried out by Ipsos Mori, of the lived experiences those living in poor housing. Finally, we will hear from a successful project that kept on delivering practical housing help throughout the pandemic, highlighting its significant impacts on individual lives.

Tuesday 23rd March, Online

This seminar is hosted by the MICRA PhD Network Co-chairs, Louise Mitchell and Francisca Ortiz. This session will explore research projects undertaken in the pandemic with older adults.

We're encouraging people living in Greater Manchester to top up their weekly income by applying for a multi-million-pound pot of unclaimed government funds. Latest figures released from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, along with Greater Manchester Housing Providers, suggests as many as 43,000 local residents could be eligible to benefit from £76 million of unclaimed Pension Credit.

Are you a Concessionary Pass holder whose tram and train add on is due to expire soon? If so, please be aware that the deadline for renewal has been extended until 31 March 2021. This is to help people follow the latest government travel guidelines and minimise unnecessary journeys. After this date, you should renew when you plan to start travelling by tram or train and the £10 will last for a full year from their new start date.

Diverse Voices is the new Age Proud Leeds podcast in which people from diverse communities talk about ageism and discrimination.

Ageing Better in Camden would like to appoint an experienced qualitative researcher to examine the development and impact of the BAME-led partnership. They are actively seeking applications from researchers of African heritage and/or with substantial cultural understanding of African minority groups in the UK to carry out the work. 

This report shares the findings from the Centre for Ageing Better’s survey conducted with NatCen, which looked at how people feel about their communities and the impact of the first lockdown on those aged 50 to 69.

This report sets out the government’s work on COVID-19 over the past year and their plans for the future.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on most ethnic minority groups in England. In this blog, Dr Ruth Watkinson and Dr Alex Turner, from the Health Organisation, Policy and Economics group (HOPE) and the Institute for Health Policy and Organisation, discuss their recent study looking at ethnic health inequalities amongst older adults and outline the policy changes that are necessary to “build back fairer” following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ageing Better in Camden's third and final qualitative report explores the theme of belonging and social connectedness across their projects.

A new service has been launched to help organisations come back stronger from the challenges presented during the pandemic, this time better equipped and better prepared with the skills for the future. 

Available to all VCSE organisations in Greater Manchester with up to 250 employees as well as individuals, Skills for Growth - SME Support is a fully funded, tailored service offering one-to-one, personalised and impartial advice from skills coaches, wellbeing champions and change specialists to help organisations grow through re-shaping, developing talent and enhancing team performance.

GMCVO has established a partnership with the Growth Company to help voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) employers in Greater Manchester access and benefit from the government’s Kickstart scheme.

Employers who can offer a six-month work placement / placements to a young person / young people, can register their interest with the Growth Company now. The Growth Company will apply for funding on organisations’ behalf and offer a package of support which includes a range of HR and ‘back office’ assistance to help ‘onboard’ new-starters.

Monday 22nd February, 1pm – 2:15pm

Join the Funders’ Collaborative Hub together with fellow older people’s funder to shape collaboration in the section by joining a kick-off meeting.

Thursday 25th February, 10:30am – 11:30am

An event for those working or volunteering with older people and interested in digital inclusion. With learning from older people's organisations in Leeds and their work with 100% Digital Leeds.

Thursday 25th February, 2pm – 3pm

Join the Centre for Ageing Better for this webinar to examine why a focus on prevention across the life course and across the health and social care system is essential to promote healthy ageing.

Paul McGarry, Head of Greater Manchester Ageing Hub, will be speaking. 

GMCVO have extended the application period for our Emergency Investment Fund to February 2021.

This fund is aimed at Social Enterprises, Charities and Community Businesses who are in desperate need of urgent capital caused by COVID-19. This Emergency Investment Fund helps organisations by providing loans ranging from £50,000 to £250,000. There is a repayment and interest free period of up to 2 years at the start of the investment and then a 3-year repayment period.

Applications will now close on February 26th 2021.

Additionally, for organisations impacted by Covid-19, we are able to support applications for Social Investment Businesses’ Resilience and Recovery Loan Fund and the Bounce Back loan Scheme offered by Growth Company.

Our Access to Growth investment fund is still going strong, offering smaller investments (£10,000-£50,000) to support social enterprises, charities and community businesses to grow their social impacts.

For communities looking to develop their own housing schemes or sports facilities, we are also the local partner for the Resonance Community Developers Fund.

If you have any questions regarding how any of these funds might help your social enterprise, charity or community business, or would like to or are thinking of applying, please contact our social investment team on gmsocinvest@gmcvo.org.uk