Category: Events and News

Withington Road First Steps

logo

500 Fares a Day is the report of the Withington Road Bus Survey and presents the business case for a bus service on Withington Road.

You can read it here http://withingtonroad.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/500-fares-a-day.pdf

 

500faresaday

 

 

 

A NEW BUS ROUTE THROUGH WHALLEY RANGE?

new bus route
Here is the route of the proposed 85A which we are aiming to get Stagecoach to trial. This is not a replacement for the 16 bus which has now stopped running. We are hoping for a half hour service that will:

Make it easier to get to Withington Road shops including St Margaret School, the medical centre, laundrette, dentists, Mosque and the fabulous Med Cafe.

Mean you can catch a bus from Withington Road to Chorlton, Hulme Asda, Oxford Road and the city centre.

And,

The traders will benefit through increased business and their staff can get to/from work more easily.

It will be easier to nip in for last minute shopping on the way home.

Increased passive surveillance by passengers queuing and travelling on the bus will mean a safer shopping environment.

Stagecoach are interested in the idea. They are supporting improvements to Withington Road and have donated £500. Plus, the bus stops are already there so no serious investment needed. But, they do need see that there is a demand.

If frequent buses along Withington Road would make your life easier then please complete this very quick survey so we can put a strong business case to Stagecoach and make it happen!

withingtonroad.org/bus

Volunteer needed:
Withington Road ShopWatch will be getting going during July for a 6 month trial. This will bring together traders/businesses, the police and local residents groups to make Withington Road shops and the surrounding area safer. We are looking for a volunteer to be the scheme coordinator.This will not be an onerous task, as the frequency of incidents is fairly low. It will be the first time our local shops have worked together in a common interest.

Ideally you will live locally, be a regular visitor to the shopping area and interested in getting this scheme up and running.

We’ll be using the Littoralis DISC system as used in the city centre. Littoralis are waiving their usual set up fee as they are keen to test out their system in a smaller shopping environment like ours and we have agreed they can use our experience as a case study..

The Withington Road Survey results pull no punches.

They demonstrate both a need and a desire for change. 239 people responded…
…over half volunteered to help deliver improvements!

There are over 1200 comments, gripes, suggestions and ideas. The results clearly identify what needs tackling and how they should be improved.

Read the results on the website: Survey

 

 

Tell us what you think about Withington Road Shops and you could win a prize
Take the survey at www.withingtonroad.org/survey
Withington Road First Steps is bringing together shoppers, traders, local residents and the council.
Our goal: – To make our local shopping area…
“a safe, attractive and thriving high street where people want to shop, work, live, access services, trade and come together.
You could win a meal for 2, a car valet or shopping vouchers…
So far around 150 people have given their thoughts and ideas. Everyone was impressed with the model made by Class 3J of St Mary’s Primary School.
Many people wanted to see better use of the wider pavement areas, with good quality and attractive seating and planting mentioned a lot. Removing street clutter (redundant signposts etc.) and taking care of existing planted areas would help.
By far the most expressed wish for shopping was for a decent bakery. Opticians, traditional fish and chips, independent greengrocers and a butchers were also in demand. The idea of regular street markets was popular with farmers, crafts and street food markets suggested.
A lot of people miss the No. 16 bus and a popular suggestion was to divert some No 85’s to become 85A’s.
There was lots of support for the Save Nello James campaign, matched by complaints about the state of the building and grounds.
There was a lot of concern about the difficulty of crossing the road at the northern end (towards Tescos)of the shopping area. Parking on the pavements, and on double yellow lines was a cause of annoyance. The pavement between Nello James Centre and May Road needs resurfacing and the hedge cutting back.
Better street cleaning, including along the side roads, and overflowing bins was a concern for many. The fly tipping hotspots were also identified a lot. There were also complaints about the back alley which exits on to May Road, the 2 short ginnels on the main shopping parade and Tesco’s waste facilities.
Anti-social behaviour, the drinking area and begging caused concern for some, and 2 people mentioned prostitution around Carlton Road.
Tell us what you think at www.withingtonroad.org/survey

jess nello first steps
Meeting: Tuesday 25th August

While it was the Whalley Rangers who applied for the First Steps Funding, it was the concerns and observations of local residents that resulted in our proposal being successful…

Withington Road First Steps is about getting residents, traders and shoppers talking about the Withington Road Shopping Area. Its about finding out what we like and hate, about our ideas and aspirations, and developing a shared vision for what this local centre could be.

Get involve in Withington Road Project

Start any discussion about Withington Road and invariably opinions are divided. Many dislike the area to the extent they will not use it. People often complain about street cleanliness, anti-social behaviour, business practises, the impact on local residential areas. This is the first time everyone will be asked to give their views with the aim of making Withington Road somewhere everyone feels welcome.

  • Business owners and traders will be asked about what affects them and their ideas for a better trading environment
  • Pupils from St. Mary Primary School have made a model of the street which you can use to flag the issues you think are important. Your ideas for making things better can also be identified and shared
  • And an online survey will collect the views from as many local residents, shop workers and shoppers as possible
Withington Road
Withington Road

 Visit the website at for more information: http://withingtonroad.org/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/withingtonroad

Older People’s Experiences of Urban Life and the Role of the Neighbourhood

Older People’s Experiences of Urban Life and the Role of the Neighbourhood
25 May, St Thomas Centre
The first in an Ambition for Ageing seminar series examining topical areas of discussion that are being highlighted through AfA programme’s outcomes. This seminar will look at how older people relate to their neighbourhood and community within an urban environment like Manchester and other Greater Manchester districts.
The session will be delivered by Chris Phillipson, Professor of Gerontology at the University of Manchester.

Where does volunteering go from here? Come and have your say
23 June, St Thomas Centre
What the future for volunteering in Greater Manchester? With cuts to public spending, the demand for services provided by the VCSE sector and the need for volunteers will only increase. You are invited to this event to give your views on the future of volunteering in our region and to have your say on the development of the Volunteering Greater Manchester network.

My vision for policing – a message from Tony Lloyd

My vision for local policing

One of my most important jobs is setting the priorities for policing and community safety in Greater Manchester.  After speaking to elected representatives, local organisations, community groups, businesses and many individuals across Greater Manchester, Ive identified six key priorities for policing and community safety. These set out how Greater Manchester Police will work with local councils, health, other agencies and – most importantly of all – local people, to make Greater Manchester safer and stronger.

Weve made a short film to explain the plan which you can see here:

https://youtu.be/vh-hibu5UwQ

These arent really my priorities – they belong to us all. Delivering them will be challenging as we face cuts in government finding to our local services. But it is ambitious programme, which I believe we can deliver together.

Ultimately this is about all of us working together to make Greater Manchester even greater.  It puts the people of Greater Manchester at its heart.

You can read the plan in full by visiting:

www.gmpcc.org.uk/plan

This is an ongoing conversation and, as ever, I would be really pleased to hear your views.

Kind regards

Tony Lloyd

Greater Manchester Mayor, and Police & Crime Commissioner

 

Community safety, GMP news and Hate Crime Reporting

 

GMCVO joins Greater Manchester Ageing Hub

cabgmcvo

The Centre for Ageing Better has joined GMCVO as a member of the Greater Manchester Ageing Hub.

The news comes as part of an announcement of a five-year partnership between the Centre for Ageing Better and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to develop and share innovative approaches to tackling social, economic and health inequalities in later life.

The Greater Manchester Ageing Hub has been established by the GMCA to bring together plans to support older people (50 plus) living in Greater Manchester.

The Hub will gather best practice around achieving healthy ageing while exploring new ideas and solutions for developing age-friendly neighbourhoods across the region. Research will also be carried out over a range of issues facing older workers, especially those affected by redundancy and long-term unemployment.

Other members of Greater Manchester Ageing Hub are New Economy, Public Health England and Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing (MICRA).

Further information via the link below.

Website Link:

GMCVO joins Greater Manchester Ageing Hub

Centre for Ageing Better announces ground-breaking partnership to tackle inequalities in later life in Greater Manchester

News | Ageing Better | 18 March 2016

The Centre for Ageing Better and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) today announce a five-year partnership to develop and share innovative approaches to tackling social, economic and health inequalities in later life.

The City of Manchester is recognised internationally for its work as an age-friendly city. Today the combined leadership of Greater Manchester commits to expanding these benefits to those living in the wider city region, positively impacting an additional 2.2 million people.

Ageing Better will capture evidence about what works to help ensure a good later life, and will work through the Greater Manchester Ageing Hub[1] to apply this to drive improvements across Greater Manchester.

Ageing Better has chosen Greater Manchester as its first locality partner because of the devolved powers[2] it holds as a city region, and its commitment to supporting ageing well in its drive to transform health and social care. Jointly, Greater Manchester and Ageing Better will share the learning and success from this partnership with other localities and with national governments in UK and abroad.

Ageing Better and GMCA share an ambitious goal to help many more people aged 50 and over stay in work and get into work.

Employment rates for people living in the North West of England are significantly worse than the English average and in Greater Manchester almost one in three of the region 50-64 year olds are not working.[3]

It is estimated that boosting the number of people in work aged 50 years and over in the region to the all-age Greater Manchester average could increase Gross Value Added[4] by as much as £901.6m.

Ageing Better and GMCA will start by developing and testing a new approach to supporting people aged 50 years and over re-enter the labour market. Being out of work in one 50s is a key risk factor for a poor later life; associated with poor health, financial insecurity and social isolation.

As well as benefiting the local economy, helping individuals to get back to work will give them a better chance of enjoying a good later life.

Ageing Better and GMCA will also work together to ensure that current and future housing meets the needs of an ageing population.

Anna Dixon, Chief Executive of the Centre for Ageing Better, said:

“Greater Manchester is in an ideal position to use its devolved powers to respond positively to its ageing population. This is a unique opportunity to demonstrate how a large scale and evidence-based approach to creating an age-friendly region can transform experiences of later life.

“Too many people currently miss out on a good later life. This not only affects individuals, but also communities and the wider economy. By working in partnership with localities we will develop and test new ways of supporting individuals, and unlock the potential within their communities.

“This is the first of our locality partners. Over the next few months we will be talking to leaders in other areas to identify places that share our ambition, our commitment to evidence and can deliver at scale.”

Tony Lloyd, Interim Mayor for Greater Manchester said:

“I want Greater Manchester to be the UK most age-friendly city-region. 

“Greater Manchester has an ambitious targets to boost employment rates amongst older people. This can help grow our economy and improve the lives of older people in our city-region. 

“But I want to go further and look at how we can use the powers we now have in Greater Manchester to improve even more aspects of older people lives.  That why Im delighted Greater Manchester is to be the Centre for Ageing Better first locality partner. 

“By working together as part of Greater Manchester Ageing Hub we will be able to make better decisions locally that improve the lives of older people right across Greater Manchester.”

Lord Peter Smith, lead on health and social care for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, said:

“We know that in Greater Manchester we have an increasingly ageing population. Although this is a challenge to address some of the issues facing older people in Greater Manchester, it is also an opportunity to use their experience, wisdom and talents for the benefit of everyone.

“By tackling issues around work, social isolation, and living conditions, as well as wider attitudes and perceptions of getting older, we can have a significant impact not only physical health, but mental wellbeing too.”

Lord Geoffrey Filkin, Chair of the Centre for Ageing Better, said:

“We are delighted to be partnering with Greater Manchester to work to improve later lives in the region. Manchester is already highly respected for its early work on age-friendly places. However the ambition and leadership of the new combined authority has greatly impressed us and we are keen to work with them to show how devolved powers over health and welfare combined with strong leadership have the potential to transform lives and places to make for better later lives.

“Our partnership with Greater Manchester will support nearly three million people living in the area. As we share what we learn together about what works, we will secure changes across the country so that more people in more places enjoy a good later life.”

Find out more about Ageing Better approach to building strategic locality partnerships, or join the conversation on Twitter@Ageing_Better. Sign up to receive news direct to your inbox.

Ends

For further enquiries please contact Laura Hedges (laura@forster.co.uk) or Harry Day (harry@forster.co.uk) on 0207 403 2230.

 

Notes to editors

About the Centre for Ageing Better:

The Centre for Ageing Better is an independent charitable foundation working to help everybody enjoy a good later life. We strengthen, share and apply evidence around how people can age better. We bring fresh thinking to the challenges and opportunities that everyone faces as more people live longer. Working in partnership with people and collaborating with a diverse range of organisations, we create measureable change for the long-term. The Centre for Ageing Better is supported by funding which includes a £50 million endowment from the Big Lottery Fund.

www.ageing-better.org.uk

Big Lottery Fund

  • The Big Lottery Fund supports the aspirations of people who want to make life better for their communities across the UK. We are responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by the National Lottery and invest over £650 million a year in projects big and small in health, education, environment and charitable purposes.
  • Since June 2004 we have awarded over £8 billion to projects that make a difference to people and communities in need.
  • Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £34 billion has been raised and more than 450,000 grants awarded.


Greater Manchester

  • In Greater Manchester almost one in three of the region 50-64 year olds are economically inactive (Annual Population Survey, Oct 2014 – Sep 2015)
  • Currently, there are 98,000 Greater Manchester residents aged 50-64 in receipt of one or more of the DWP working age benefits (such as Jobseekers Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance) (Nomis, 2015)
  • By 2036, it has been projected that:
  • 14% of Greater Manchester population will be 75 and over, an increase of 75% from 2011
  • one in three men aged 75 will be living alone
  • GM will see an 85% rise in the number of people diagnosed with some form of dementia (to 61,000 people)

[1] GMCA has established a new Ageing Hub to support its activities. Ageing Better joins the hub alongside the Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing (MICRA), New Economy, Public Health England and Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisation (GMCVO)

[2] This includes control of its £6 billion per annum health and social care budget, which has been supplemented with a £450 million transformational fund to effect a lasting step change in how services are delivered

[3] Economic activity rate for 50-64 year olds in Greater Manchester is 67.7% compared to an England average of 72.2%. (Annual Population Survey, Oct 2014 – Sep 2015)

[4] GVA measures the contribution to the economy of each individual producer, industry or sector in the UK.

Alexandra Heritage Group- sub group “The Women’s Peace Crusade”

peace

The Alexandra Park Heritage Group have been invited to join with Ali Ronan and others- see  attached Pdf /Flyer- to recreate the Women’s Peace Crusade of 1916-1917 and their struggle to prevent WW1. A sub group has met to determine what needs to be done.

To help us to do this, we would like to invite you to a meeting in Chorlton Lodge in Alexandra Park on Friday 10th June at 11 am to discuss the following and get your views and if possible, your help and support.

We hope to recreate a peace rally in Alexandra Park , the first weekend in October, and it will be part of a video and book.

Ali has already made a video “These Dangerous Women” and it will be a similar format. We also hope to make the video relevant for those struggling for peace today._see link to video

https://m.youtube.com/watch?V=n8gf2ilViUc

Alex Park has been chosen as there were prominent Conscientious Objectors living near the Park. The Park was used as a place for the rallies, and, there is documented evidence of this.

We need a variety of help to make this work.

We need people willing to research individuals and identify those individual women who were part of the Manchester Peace Crusades, although Ali has already done a great deal of local research to identify some of the women involved.

We need women to speak /role play those women in the video (see the video that has already been made as to what this might mean.),

We need others to be the “crowd” at the rally. Ali has authentic copies of some of the historic leaflets, which some women in the crowd can distribute.

All taking part need to dress in Edwardian costume-( see the video). We need help with costumes.

We need help with making a banner and placards and badges.

We hope to have support from a choir to sing peace songs.

SO- we hope this recreation of history in both a serious and “fun” way will appeal to you and you will want to join in
If you cannot make the meeting, but want to take part, please let us know.

Women’s Peace Crusade
Thanks
Angela Downing, Jenny Riley and Jenni Gomes

Alexandra Park Heritage Group

European project will tackle ageing’s impacts

Manchester Met joins €6.5m EU consortium

MANCHESTER Met research is leading the way in tackling the challenge of dementia, hearing and vision loss, and cognition impairment across Europe.

A European-wide consortium – one of the first projects in the European Commission Horizon 2020 research programme – will investigate the impact of these conditions in the elderly.

The five-year €6.5m project, SENSE-Cog, aims to examine this combined impact and develop new tools that could improve quality of life of patients and caregivers, and optimise health and social care services across Europe.

Dr Abebaw Yohannes, Reader in Physiotherapy, is leading SENSE-Cog research at Manchester Met.

Detection, diagnosis, intervention

He will be seeking to:

• To understand the links between hearing, vision, cognitive and emotional systems in various dimensions in elderly Europeans in different communities so as to promote early diagnosis, referral and develop interventions to improve care for elderly Europeans

• To improve the early detection and diagnosis of sensory, cognitive and emotional problems in older people through specially adapted assessment and e-health check tools

• To determine the effectiveness of a newly developed vision and hearing support intervention in improving quality of life and functional ability in people with dementia and their caregivers. In addition, he will be raising awareness and disseminating the findings that sensory health – hearing and vision – is a key feature of mental wellbeing of older people

He said: “Europe is faced with an ageing population and we want to be at the forefront of ensuring elderly people lives are as comfortable as possible and improve their quality of life, while equipping health and social care organisations with the right tools to tackle the challenges ahead.

Perfect storm

“The cumulative impact of dementia, sight and hearing loss, and depression is far greater than each on their own. We want to be able to improve the quality of life in these areas and provide health organisations across Europe with the insight they need to inform decisions around health and social care budgets.”

This project is expected to produce new research, patentable materials and screening tools for vision, hearing and cognition impairment.

The project involves 17 European Union organisations, which includes universities, healthcare service providers, voluntary and non-voluntary organisations and industry.

The consortium is led by the University of Manchester and launched in February.

Tai Chi /Qigong at JNR8

 

 Weekly Tai Chi/Qigong

Thursdays at JNR8 from 1:30-2:30pm

Tai Chi Chuan is a martial art and fitness regime to develop a healthy body and tranquil mind, with physical, mental and health benefits.

This Monday well-being class can also benefit people with back problems.

For men and women of all ages: please tell you family, friends, neighbours and colleagues!

Free of charge – but £1 donation appreciated

A guide to Tai Chi

All you need to know about tai chi, including the health benefits, different styles and getting started.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/taichi.aspx

 

 

Deaf Black Minority Ethnic Project

DEAF Project

The team are also seeking a speaker for this event!

Please get in touch if you can help!

New_DEAF_Logo_small_2014

Deaf Education Advocacy Fellowship (DEAF) is very excited to announce the launch of the Deaf Black Minority Ethnic Project.

This project aims to provide an opportunity for the BME communities of Trafford and the wider Greater Manchester area to engage and receive accessible information on core issues in the area. The project hopes to raise awareness of services and facilities that can improve the lives of deaf and black ethnic minorities who live in the area.

Do you live in the Trafford or Greater Manchester area?

Would you like to be part of a network of people supporting BME issues?

The sessions will offer a unique opportunity to access information; meet other people and watch presentations by brilliant guest speakers whom we have organised.

Different topics will be discussed at each session and those attending will decide what is on the agenda for each session.

For example, housing issues, domestic violence, social care, disability services, learning disability support, hate crime, family support, counselling, isolation and social activities.  The session will also be able to sign post you to find the right services within Trafford/Greater Manchester.

Deaf BME individuals and communities traditionally have faced many barriers preventing access to information and services, in-part due to communication needs not being met. In working with multi-cultural groups, we aim to break down and remove these barriers, providing more knowledge and awareness. We are an organisation that strongly believes that Deaf people from diverse and different cultures should have access to information without feeling isolated or ignored.

Our BME service has a well established three year track record of running projects which provide services and events on a monthly basis. We also provide services for Education, Employment, Benefits, and Welfare to Work.

Please click on the link below which explains all about the BME project and you can see the British Sign Language Video with audio:

http://www.deaf-fellowship.org/trafford-deaf-bme-project/

Hosting our session on Friday 22nd January 2016, 2.00 p.m. – 5.00 p.m. at Harry Lord House, Humphrey Road, Stretford, Manchester M16 9DF.

Please email or text 07544 310 458 with any queries or concerns and to reserve your place.

Junior Adminstrator

Abdullah Patel

E-mail: Abdullah@deaf-fellowship.org
Web: www.Deaf-fellowship.org
Phone: 0161 945 6058