The World Health Organization has recognised Greater Manchester as the UK’s first age-friendly city region.
To mark the achievement, on 16 March 18 the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has launched his age-friendly strategy and joined GreaterSport to celebrate the securing of £1m funding from Sport England to encourage older people to be more physically and socially active
Together the region will:
- Establish age-friendly communities across GM, promoting volunteering and bringing generations together
- Become a world leader in research and innovation for an ageing society
- Increase housing choice to promote social connections and wellbeing in later life
- Create opportunities to maximise skills and experience of older workers
- Build a health and social care system that works for older people
- Show leadership in developing age-friendly initiative at all levels and across all sectors
- Create a transport network that supports older people to stay connected and active
- Engage and involve older people in arts and cultural activities across GM and establish a Centre for age-friendly Culture – a world 1st
- Support more people to be physically active as they age
- Make sure access to entitlements and benefits is easier and simpler
- Develop an age-friendly plan for each local authority council
- Campaign for positive change in the way older people are viewed
An implementation plan for delivering the strategy will be published in the next few months.
