Category: Whalley Range Community Forum

 

The Whalley Range Community Forum (WRCF) is a voluntary representative residents group formed in 1995 to facilitate and improve communication between members of the community and those who serve/represent Whalley Range.

The Forum act as an umbrella organisation, bringing residents and local services together to address local issues, to promote consultation and community cohesion – and to encourage participation.
The Forum produces a bimonthly newsletter and residents meetings to address local concerns with Police, Councillors, local council and planning officials, sends out a regular email bulletins featuring opportunities, events and news to around 400 residents from Whalley Range – and co-facilitates an annual local community festival.
The Forum worker supports new and emerging groups to access funding to set up their own community groups, holds funds for unconstituted groups and addresses resident priorities by facilitating relevant classes at the JNR8 centre during school term times.
Classes and initiatives for the diverse local community include mixed and women-only ESOL classes, women fitness, Tai Chi, confidence building sessions,  basic computer and work club support and art and wellbeing classes and afternoon tea for older residents.                                                         JNR8 is also registered as a Third Party Hate Crime Reporting Centre.
The community website features local news and events, consultation links, age-friendly news and current vacancies and opportunities.

Follow @WhalleyRangeorg and @AgeFriendlyWR on Twitter

JNR8 Youth & Community Centre, 82 Cromwell Avenue, Whalley Range, M16 0BG

Tel: 0161 881 3744 | Email: communityforumwhalleyrange@gmail.com agefriendlywhalleyrange@gmail.com

The Manchester Strategy

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If you were one of the tens of thousands reached by our consultation on how to make Manchester into the place youd want to live, work, play and do business in 2025, thank you for being part of such a huge, inspiring response.The strategy is the culmination of that response. People’s commitment to the city, and their desire to see its future success, shine through it, and it a credit to all who contributed including:

  • Manchester residents themselves, in their thousands
  • the city army of volunteers (our city has around 100,000) from tiny clubs to business-scale operations, and community activists
  • a wide non-resident public – some of our city biggest fans – who work in the city or visit to enjoy our varied culture and leisure
  • business and civic leaders from the city and the city region who added their valuable insights, revealing the extent of their own crucial part in delivering Manchester success.

Responses from across the city were many and varied, but a few themes came through again and again. People of Manchester share the desire to see the city do well, to see Manchester use and value its green spaces, to have a clean city with one of the best public transport systems in the world, to preserve its historic buildings and support those in need.

Read more: http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/500313/the_manchester_strategy

Parks strategy consultation | toolkit

We are currently gathering views to influence and shape a strategy for Manchester’s parks for the next 10 years.
We’d like to engage as many residents as possible to get involved and complete our survey manchester.gov.uk/parksurvey.

The survey closes on 31 May 2016
I’d be really grateful if you would help us spread the word via your contacts.

I’ve put together a toolkit to help communicate with residents which includes:

  • a briefing note with information about the consultation
  • a poster
  • some copy that could be used in newsletters or posted websites etc
  • social media messages
  • a few images to use on social media

I hope this is useful and thank you in advance for your support.

If you have any queries or would like any further information please contact:

Sarah Hawkins
Neighbourhood Officer
Public Realm
The Neighbourhoods Service
Growth and Neighbourhoods
Manchester City Council
Hammerstone Road Depot
Gorton
Manchester
M18 8EQ

Internal 800 35405
Tel: 0161 234 5405
Mob: 07795604057
Fax:
Email: s.hawkins@manchester.gov.uk
http://www.manchester.gov.uk
Parks Consultation Poster

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Parsonage gardens in Didsbury, judging taking place for the Britain in Bloom awards at this garden and a number of other locations around Didsbury. The gardens are kept looking great by an army of volunteers Pictured Volunteer Junko pop ham aged 70 in the gardens

Social media messages

Briefing Note – Parks Strategy and Consultation

Copy and link

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

 

 

Age-friendly Whalley Range & Chorlton Constitution & Business Charter

Age friendly Whalley Range and Chorlton Constitution April 2016

Age-friendly Business Charter

AFWR_CH Business Charter

 

The idea of the Charter is to ensure that businesses and groups take account of older people’s needs in terms of recognising barriers and addressing them by looking at the wider accessibility of their premises and care of their customers/service users, including offering a warm welcome and being patient if an older person is confused or forgetful.

What the Age-friendly Business Charter sets out to do is to allow businesses/venues who sign up to promote themselves as providing age-friendly services by displaying a postcard in their window or on the premises – and becoming part of our website/database list of Age-friendly places/services in Whalley Range.

Obviously insurance issues and customer safety means that not every shop or office can offer the use of toilet facilities – but many venues may be able to fulfil that part of the criteria anyway: e.g. care homes, health centres, dentists, social housing providers, mosques, churches, temples, cafes and schools etc.

So a business could provide a seat for an older person who is shopping in the area,  just a fold-up chair available to be used on request, to be free of trip hazards, with decent lighting and accessibility of products, accessibility for wheelchair users where possible, or support from staff if the venue is not accessible,  prescription collection and home delivery of shopping etc.

The accessibility of a venue is only one part of signing up to the charter – it is really a request for all businesses and organisations to look at their premises and services in general – and will also give them free publicity as it’s an opportunity for them to promote what they do.

Of course if the accessible venues meet other criteria (no trip hazards etc.) they will be able to become part of the list: the checklist on the Charter will be a guide to available services for each organisation.

For an older person to recognise that many (or preferably all!) of their local shops have signed up as being ‘age-friendly’ would increase their confidence in getting out of the house to shop locally – even more important for residents living on or close to Withington Road since the demise of the regular 16 bus that took them into Chorlton.

Older people are an important and growing consumer group – so it makes sense for local businesses to encourage and support the “shop local” ethos – and of course becoming part of a recognised group that demonstrates a commitment and respect for the needs of older people is a good way to promote local services.

AF Business Charter DraftWRCH

Chorlton Good Neighbours – Activities in Whalley Range for older people

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Please see information below on the activities Chorlton Good Neighbours offer for local older people across both Chorlton and Whalley Range wards. CGN s base is in Wilbraham St Ninians Church,  and they are funded through Manchester City Council to support older people across both wards. Please promote across your networks.

Actvities include:

·         3 exercise classes running each week, a graded system to suit a range of needs , with experienced instructors
·         Access to a monthly Positive Living Group  or access to a 12 week Positive living Programme, run by a trained life coach
·         A weekly singing group Thursdays 11.45-1pm , and visits to local residential homes to perform
·         A Friday morning gardening club 10-1pm
·         A weekly small craft session Wednesdays 1-3pm
·         A monthly history talk to stimulate the brain cells!
·         A monthly Sunday tea with transport, entertainment and hot meal

If older people’s wellbeing would be improved by a regular visit from a volunteer then that can be arranged, as well as support to remain independent by having  worker or volunteer escort people to the shops/banks etc.

If you need any further information, please contact Helen Hibberd Chorlton Good Neighbours on 0161 881 2925 or email helen@chorltongoodneighbours. org

Exercise Class poster

older mens flyer

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