Wigan`s Public Health team is working with Greater Manchester Combined Authority to deliver the Ageing in Place Pathfinder programme in Worsley Mesnes, Hawkley Hall, and Goose Green (South Wigan and North Ashton Neighbourhood).
Our Aim
We aim to improve residents’ quality of life as they grow older ,working together with older people in the neighbourhood to deliver resident-led partnerships that deliver positive and lasting change.
Local demographics, mapping and insight have informed identification of these areas. Our focus will be on engaging older residents to gain an understanding of their lived experience of what it is like to age in these communities.
Pathfinder Partnerships
The Pathfinder has invested funding over 3 years to support this work.
The learning from the Pathfinder Partnerships will help to tackle inequalities in later life, including supporting older people with the continued recovery from the impact of Covid-19 and in the current cost of living crisis.
Some great ideas and relationships are being forged both within partnership, older residents are at the heart and are valuing being a part of something and coming together to make a change to the local area, to make it better for others today and in years to come.
Putting older people’s voices and lived experience at the heart and learning about what they value, the contributions they make and the barriers they experience to ageing well in their local communities.
We have three questions at the core of our work:
- What is it like to live around here?
- What could make it better?
- How can we work together?
Through engagement session’s key themes have started to emerge:
- Communication and information – Improving the way messages get out to people, highlighting digital skills and exploring community reporters
- Outdoor space - Pavements, benches – uneven pavements and opportunities to rest whilst walking
- Social participation - Local History, places for people to be like ‘warm hubs’ model, activities for all to be involved in, a place to be not necessarily to do an activity.
A strong partnership group is growing made up of residents and local stakeholders and engagement events have begun.
Eliot Gardens Extra Care Housing accommodation hosted the Partnership Group meeting in January 2024. A mixture of stakeholders and residents attended, working together to make and work towards the action plan
International Day of Older Persons 2023
In October 2023, we partnered with Age UK Wigan Borough to host a celebration event and invited older residents to attend. The theme was - ' Our Place'.
There was a high importance of place and tapping into local history and heritage.
Including:
- performances from Hindley Ukulele Band
- a celebration of Wigan History with presentations about George Formby
- ‘The Way Talk’ by local residents.
There was a real celebration about neighbourhoods, being strong and supportive of others, and a need for connection, health and wellbeing in later life.
State of Ageing report reactions: Wigan
The resident’s voice has supported us with the State of Ageing: Wigan residents have their say.
My Generation reporters David and Erica, had the privilege of interviewing residents and capturing their insights on the State of Ageing.
This video gives voice to the community's experiences and perspectives. A great way to get older peoples voice heard.
With thanks to our featured residents, this is something we would like to do more of.
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