On Friday 1st October we celebrated International Day of Older Persons, supporting the #OlderAndGreener campaign with partners across Greater Manchester, led by the GM Ageing Hub.

Greater Manchester’s older people have a key role to play in protecting our environment and it’s everyone’s business to get older people’s views heard. If we’re going to tackle the climate emergency, we need people of all ages to take action and help develop well-rounded policies.

We used the day to highlight one of our fantastic case studies; Ryder Brow Community Allotment Society in Gorton, Manchester who are improving their neighbourhood and creating a beautiful legacy for future generations.

Our latest seminar is now available to watch on YouTube.

Led by Patty Doran, Research Associate in the Manchester Urban Ageing Research Group, the seminar discusses why co-production is important to ageing research, what we currently know about using transdisciplinary co-production and what evidence gaps still remain.

Commissioned by GM Older People's Network and run by Talking About My Generation, the campaign highlights the inter-generational activists in action! Watch their video at the link below to find out what they got up to this International Day of Older Persons for the campaign.

Macc are looking for someone to work alongside GMOPN on a project to set up an Equalities Panel of GM older people, working in partnership with Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

The GM VCSE sector has signed a new agreement with Greater Manchester Leaders in local government and health to work together to reduce inequalities in Greater Manchester.

The new GM VCSE Accord replaces the 2017 Accord and the Memorandum of Understanding, also signed in 2017. It takes into account the development of the GM Integrated Care System (ICS) next year and the challenges facing Greater Manchester following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ageing Better in Camden have gathered their ideas, resources and tips from delivery partners who've been running activities for the past seven years, to create the Warm Welcome Toolkit.

During the pandemic there was a move from face-to-face to telephone and online delivery. This paper is intended for people who are developing their own hybrid models of delivery. It aims to share the issues and challenges being navigated and to provide some early insights into what we are finding works.

Manchester Museum and Southway Housing Trust have launched a new year-long project, ‘Grey on Green’, that will highlight the contributions older people make to a sustainable world. The project will be led by older people who will share their wisdom for a sustainable lifestyle and discuss their experience and observations of the climate and ecological emergency.

If you’re over 50 and would like to be involved, please contact: j.dean@southwayhousing.co.uk; 0161 448 4227or maria.ramosacevedo@manchester.ac.uk; 07818 578 474

From creative writing to seated exercise and weekly quizzes, Getting Together Matters brings older people from across the UK together online to have fun and take part in a range of free events and activities. Visit their website to see their Autumn programme of events.

Thursday 14th October

A digital event focusing on the importance of a warm welcome, and how to approach it, for groups and activities targeting older people.

18th - 21st October, Online

The Greater Manchester Public and Community Involvement and Engagement Forum was set up with the ambition to support public involvement leaders from diverse backgrounds and different organisations. Join them in a week of events to showcase and celebrate how communities in Greater Manchester have come together in an inclusive way during the pandemic.

During the workshop, 'Understanding the values and needs of Greater Manchester Communities' on 19th October, the GM Older People's Network will be telling the story of the Keeping Well at Home Campaign.

Thursday 11th November, Online

We are joining Ageing Better in Camden to launch their exciting new research: “Before this, I had nothing”: A Report on the Development and Impact of a BAME-Led Partnership for Tackling Social Isolation Among Older People in Camden.

Report author Adwoa Manful will share learning from this innovative research alongside other speakers who have been instrumental in developing the report.

The event will also showcase research and learning from Ambition for Ageing's Ageing Equally research project.

Thursday 11th November, Online 

This is the second in GMCVO's Academic Perspectives lecture series, which aims to give voluntary sector audiences and policymakers an opportunity to step back from day-to-day concerns and think more broadly about topics and ideas that can inform everyday practice.  

Emma Dowling, Assistant Professor for the Sociology of Social Change at the University of Vienna, will discuss the ways in which austerity, marketisation and financialisation have exacerbated a deep-reaching care crisis. 

GMCVO currently has office space available to rent on the first floor of St Thomas Centre, a beautiful converted church close to the city centre and all major transport links. Fully managed, with secure parking and cycle shed, the space is ideal for 6-8 people.

GMCVO have launched a small grants round to support mental wellbeing in communities of identity or experience. Grants of £750 - £3000 are available to small, grassroots VCSE organisations.

Age UK are undertaking a piece of research exploring the experiences of older adults who live with multiple long-term conditions and disabilities that affect their day to day lives.

They want to identify a number of older adults who are willing to spend around an hour being interviewed (on the telephone or via Zoom or WhatsApp) about their day to day lives, their experiences of accessing services (especially health and care services) and how these have affected them.

Please contact Chloe Reeves; chloe@londonroadpp.com or Kate Jopling;  kate@joplingconsulting.com for more information.