- Events
- Regular Activities
- Health & Wellbeing
- Children and Young People
- News, Exhibitions & meetings
- Sport/Active lifestyle
- Volunteering
- Support
- Festivals and special events
Events and activities
Free Wellness Walks at Hough End Leisure Centre
Regular walks can help reduce stress, boost mood, improve heart health, and increase overall fitness—all while enjoying the company of others. Hough End Leisure Centre are now running Wellness Walks, designed for all abilities! Meet at 10am on Wednesdays at the centre and join them for an outdoor walk to enjoy fresh air and walking to local green spaces, perfect for relaxation and connection with nature.
Walking with others makes it easier to stay motivated and build healthy habits. No sign-up needed however you can book online or via the link below or on BetterUK app or just turn up and walk your way to better well-being for free. Hough End Leisure Centre, 480 Princess Road, M20 1HD. www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/manchester/news/boost-your-health-with-wellness-walks
Overcoming Worry Workshop
NHS Manchester Talking Therapies are running six weekly sessions on how to overcome worry. The course is a 6-week online CBT-based programme delivered by Manchester Talking Therapies via Microsoft Teams. Learn about anxiety and unhelpful thinking; Build relaxation skills; Practice problem-solving and mindfulness; Gain tools to manage setbacks and maintain progress.
Ask your GP for a referral or visit their website to sign up.
www.thebiglifegroup.com/service/talking-therapies-manchester/
Regular Activities
Friday Community hub @ JNR8 – 10-1pm
Walking Mums Club is now in Alexandra Park every Tuesday at 11:30am!Join a friendly group of local mums for fresh air, gentle exercise, good chats, and real connection. Walk, talk, laugh, and share your journey — pre or post-partum. Meet outside the Pavilion Café and stick around after for a brew!
Free to join – book your spot here:
NEW BOOST COURSE STARTING IN SEPTEMBER
EMAIL US/CALL US TO BOOK YOUR PLACE: SEE POSTER FOR CONTACT DETAILS
JNR8 (pronounced generate) is a warm and welcoming space for our community to meet with others, and on Fridays you are welcome to drop in to our Warm Hub, have a cuppa and a crumpet/piece of toast, fruit – and soup and a roll when the weather is colder!
Visit a warm space near you: meet people, enjoy a hot meal, get advice.
Whalley Range Community Forum Warm Welcome Space page:
https://www.warmwelcome.uk/space?l=17701
Find other local Warm Welcome Spaces at: https://www.warmwelcome.uk
Chorlton Repair Café
Chorlton’s Repair Café takes place on the second Saturday of every month from 10am to 12 noon at St Margaret’s Centre, Brantingham Road, M21 0TT. The friendly volunteers fix and repair electricals, bikes, lamps, household items, toys and more for free. They save around 60-70% of items brought in from being thrown away. If you have skills that you think would be helpful and would like to volunteer please contact chorltonrepaircafe@gmail.com
News from the Friends of Alexandra Park…
The Friends and Café Bembe are joining forces to help park users give an approved type of food to the birds that live on the Lake. The food chosen is called “Duck and Swan Mix” from Vine Farms, an established supplier of specialised bird foods.
People will be guided by a notice at the Lake side to go to the Café and ask at the counter for a small paper bag of food. In this pilot stage of the arrangements, they will be asked to make a small donation for each bag.
On receiving the bag the Café staff will also give the person guidance on how and where to throw the food so that the wildfowl gets it rather than the pigeons.
A place to belong, make friends and have a place to talk…
WEDNESDAY YOUTH NIGHTS | 7 – 8.30pm
St Werburgh’s Chorlton
This weekly, free youth club is open for young people of all backgrounds in secondary school.
Keen to come join? It’s easy.
All the info and consent forms on our website.
www.stwchorlton.org/youth
Or if you’re getting dropped off we’ve got paper copies for parents to fill out too.
We can’t wait to see you! 
https://www.facebook.com /TalkCleanAirWR
Health & Wellbeing
This exciting new social group for people with leg conditions and those who are feeling isolated is on Wednesdays at JNR8 from 11:45-1:30pm
Who’s who at your GP practice
Our campaign aims to improve the understanding of the different professionals working in a general practice, including the skills, experience and benefits that different roles bring to patient care.
We want to help you understand what different members of the general practice team do and why you may be seen by someone other than a GP.
Click the link to find out more:
Who’s Who at your local GP Practice
Children and Young People
Spaces in our rainbow unit for girls aged 4 to 7 years in Whalley Range.
Rainbows have fun learning new things with friends and earn badges by taking part in activities.
We meet at St Edmunds church on Alexandra Road South on Fridays (during term time) from 6.15 to 7.15 pm.
We have spaces in our guide unit for girls aged 10 to 14 years in Whalley Range
Our activities are for all abilities and girls enjoy trying new things and have the opportunity try different activities
We meet at St Edmunds church on Alexandra Road South on a Friday evening (in term time) from 7.30 to 9.00pmdays out further afield (contains links outside our website)
News, Exhibitions & Meetings
Russell Road LGBTQ+ Extra Care Scheme.
UPDATES COMING SOON!
What is extra care?
Extra care is an affordable housing option from not for profit social landlords offering self-contained homes for older people aged 55 or over. It includes flexible and responsive services to enable them to maintain their independence and stay where they live if their care needs change.
You would have your own apartment and tenancy with access to flexible care and support services if needed. A team of care staff is on site 24/7 rather than being brought in on a visiting basis. This is to ensure better joint working between housing and care teams and to provide a model that can adapt to people’s needs as they change, rather than people having to move when this happens.
Care provided is in line with domiciliary care, e.g. up to 4 care visits per day. Carers on site over night are there for emergencies and peace of mind.
Amy and Louise from Great Places and Angela and Kath from MCC can speak to people about Extra Care services in more detail. Information on other Extra Care schemes, and how to apply, will be available if people are interested. This will also help answer any questions from people who may think this will be the only EC scheme in the city.
How can someone register for the properties?
Waiting lists are not open. Add your name to the mailing list and you’ll receive updates on the scheme.
How will properties be allocated?
The shared ownership apartments will be sold on a first come first served basis.
The extra care apartments will be allocated by a panel according to level of care need but someone doesn’t have to be in receipt of care to move.
Is the Extra Care scheme just for Manchester residents?
Yes, but exceptions may be considered by the panel on a case by case basis.
Who will provide the care?
A care provider hasn’t been appointed yet. The care and support services will be commissioned by Manchester City Council.
Can the local community access and people in the adjacent block access the facilities in the extra care housing scheme?
Yes. It will be a welcoming and inclusive scheme. Some areas, such as the café area, will be open; some will only be accessed by pre-arranged appointments, such as treatment or meeting rooms; some areas, such as the residential apartment areas on the upper floors, will be for extra care residents and their guests only.
Height/size?
Height of similar size to the previous Spire Hospital building that occupied the site.
The height of the scheme will be 4 and 5 storeys which falls into line with adjacent buildings.
Building has been set back from Russell Road & Carlton Road so as not to feel overbearing on existing two-storey semi-detached dwellings which line these streets.
Extra Care of 5 storeys (around 80 1- and 2-bed apartments).
Shared Ownership block of 4 storeys (around 40 1- and 2-bed apartments).
For further information speak to Alison or Maddi from Triangle Architects.
Will it be net zero?
The development will be as low-carbon as possible.
A ‘fabric first’ approach will be taken which prioritises the energy efficiency of a property from the start of the design and development process.
An energy and sustainability strategy will be developed with a specialist consultant.
For further information speak to Alison and Maddi from Triangle Architects, Chris from Great Places, and Dave C and Dave H from Rowlinson.
Traffic/parking?
Parking numbers will be discussed and agreed with Manchester City Council Planning. Parking numbers indicated are in line with similar nearby developments.
Planning policy requires 20% of spaces will need to be electric vehicle charging spaces, with provision in place to adapt the other spaces in the future.
Cycle parking spaces will be set by Planning.
Two vehicular access points are provided into the Extra Care parking area, utilising existing access points and taking into account the Whalley Road School Street trial that is currently ongoing.
One vehicular access point is provided into the Shared Ownership parking area, utilising an existing access point.
Parking spaces have been carefully positioned within existing hardstanding areas, to ensure existing trees/roots are not damaged.
Planning conditions attached to any decision will determine site operating and delivery times. A construction traffic management plan will be developed and agreed with Planning officers.
For further information speak to Alison or Maddi from Triangle Architects.
LGBTQ+ majority?
Not exclusive, minimum of 51% LGBTQ+ community. Allocations will be made within the current process for Extra Care, with the additional support of the LGBT Foundation.
Evidence of need within LGBTQ+ community, supported by survey and report by LGBT Foundation (paper copies available for reference (not to give out), links to reports are on consultation website). Issues facing older LGBTQ+ community include social isolation, feeling they may need to go ‘back in the closet’ when accessing housing to meet their needs, partners not being included as family members, less likely to have children, plus more specific needs of trans people, first generation living to older age with HIV.
The aim of RR is to create a centre of excellence in housing, care and support provision for older LGBTQ+ people. This will be supported by Pride in Ageing accreditation which is being rolled out across all Extra Care schemes in the city. This is a quality assessment to ensure Extra Care housing landlords and care providers are, as a minimum, LGBTQ+ affirmative and exclusive.
The scheme will be inclusive and welcoming.
Evidence of need
LGBT Foundation’s 2020 report, Housing, Ageing and Care
- 89% wanted more supported housing options for older LGBT people
- 74% wanted to move into the proposed LGBT extra care scheme
51% would be uncomfortable in non-LGBT specific care or housing (for over 75s this was higher at
Latest update on Russell Road LGBTQ+ Extra Care Scheme.
Work continues to move forward with the plans for the first purpose-built LGBTQ+ majority Extra Care scheme in the UK at Russell Rd. The scheme will offer high quality, affordable, low carbon housing for social rent and all partners are working towards the pre-planning works as quickly as possible. Preparations are underway to begin site investigations which will help to inform the design.
Despite some slight delays we envisage that we will be able to share our proposed plans with you in the next few weeks and are continuing to work towards submitting our planning proposals before Christmas – following community consultation.
The co-production with the Community Steering Group (CSG) for the proposed scheme has continued positively over the summer with three co-production design meetings since July.
At these meetings, members of the CSG have met with the design team (Great Places, Triangle Architects, Rowlinson Construction and Simon Fenton Partnerships), Manchester City Council and LGBT Foundation to co-produce the top-level design of the scheme ahead of the public planning consultation.
Meetings to date have included making decisions about flat layouts and design features (bathroom access, kitchen access, bedroom layouts) and internal communal spaces (public and customer use, access arrangements, facilities for customers and the wider community and access to outdoor spaces).
These discussions have built on the expertise in the room of designing, building, and managing Extra Care schemes as well as looking at the specific needs of future customers through lived experience.
As part of the co-production, the CSG has also learned about the planning process and the conservation area in Whalley Range to ensure that the building and its purpose enhance the local area.
In September, members of the design team attended a meeting of the Whalley Range Community forum to talk about the planned scheme and were met with a very positive reception from members of the Whalley Range community.
Co-production is not just about the design of the building and will also look at how services will be designed and managed when the scheme opens, and co-production activities with the CSG and wider community are planned throughout the whole process and beyond the doors opening.
To support the co-production process and share news about the proposed scheme, colleagues from Manchester City Council and Great Places joined members of the CSG and LGBT Foundation at Celebrate Festival, Pride on the Range, Manchester Pride, Sparkle Weekend and Chorlton Pride over the summer, and will continue to have a presence at local events as the scheme develops.
In addition, the project team also provided updates at a recent Whalley Range Ward Co-ordination Meeting. The plans were met positively by the group who also shared really useful local knowledge with the design team. Regular progress updates will also be given at future meetings.
The involvement of the CSG is invaluable in ensuring that this first purpose-built LGBTQ+ majority Extra Care scheme will meet the needs of the community when it opens and into the future. You can hear from members of the CSG in the first of a series of videos we’ve made to document the development of the scheme.
If you’re interested in becoming involved in this exciting project, the Community Steering Group is still looking to expand its membership and particularly wants to expand the diversity and inclusion of the group.
For more information on how you can get involved contact Adam Preston from LGBT Foundation at adam.preston@lgbt.foundation
Plans for Russell Road, including the first purpose-built LGBTQ+ majority Extra Care scheme in the UK, are now moving forward following the recent appointment of Great Places Housing Group as the new preferred provider.
The Extra Care scheme will form part of the new development on the site of the former Spire Hospital. It will offer affordable self-contained homes for people aged 55+ with access to flexible care and support services on-site if needed, enabling residents to keep their independence and stay in their home if their care needs change. All partners involved are delighted that the project is moving ahead. This is a great opportunity to develop and deliver a Centre of Excellence in Manchester providing safe, respectful and identity confirming Independent Living and Extra Care services for the LGBTQ+ community.
Co-production will be a key part of the scheme’s development. Great Places is working in close partnership with the Community Steering Group (made up of representatives from the local, LGBTQ+ and older people’s communities), LGBT Foundation and Manchester City Council to ensure the scheme achieves its agreed purpose and creates a lasting positive addition to Whalley Range. The Community Steering Group is already meeting with the project team. Initial meetings included a walkabout of the local area to look at how the scheme will fit in with existing buildings and architecture and to map out the existing nearby amenities and services. Planned future sessions include a visit to Elmswood Park Extra Care Scheme, and a trip to the LGBT Foundation Archive at Central Library. These sessions will form an important part of informing the co-production process as the Steering Group works with Great Places to develop design proposals for the planned development.
We also anticipate that site surveys and investigations will also begin at Russell Road in August, so neighbours are likely to see activity on the site at that time. As the project progresses, we will provide further updates, sharing proposed plans with the local community ahead of sending these for planning permission later in the year.
If you’re interested in becoming involved in this exciting project, the Community Steering Group is looking to expand its membership and particularly wants to expand the diversity and inclusion of the group. For more information on how you can get involved contact Adam Preston from LGBT Foundation at adam.preston@lgbt.foundation
Volunteering
Welcome to Greater Manchester Mature Minds Matter!
The purpose of our network is to ensure the voice of older people with lived experience of mental health are able to use their experiences to influence the transformation of mental health support across Greater Manchester.
We are here to join up existing networks and recruit individual members to act as experts by experience and leaders to inform issues around age-appropriateness, awareness, language, stigma, access and interventions. We aim to support and empower individuals and provide lived experience expertise to various projects across Greater Manchester such as complex emotional needs, eating disorders and self-harm.
We recently renamed our network from the Greater Manchester Older People’s Mental Health Network to Greater Manchester Mature Minds Matter.
We are always looking for people to join our growing network, so if you are interested and would like to learn more or have an informal conversation, please contact sophie@macc.org.uk or call
0161 834 9823.
Sport/Active Lifestyle
Support
Our mobile food clubs give access to nutritious and affordable food taken into the heart of communities starved of money, food and resources. This low cost weekly shop provides essential produce for family eating – fresh fruit and veg, fridge favourites and cupboard staples.
Read more:
https://www.breadandbutterthing.org/become-a-member
Festivals and special events
