Age Friendly Manchester Benches – Gorton and Abbey Hey

10 new age friendly benches installed in the Gorton and Abbey Hey neighbourhood.

Aim

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This project follows on from two successful age friendly seating projects developed through the Whalley Range Age Friendly group and Southways Housing in Old Moat.

Moving around the community more easily with the help of regular stopping places can enable older people to remain as independent as possible for as long as possible. This can be both physically and mentally beneficial and contributes to the Aging Well strategy for the city.

Older people were part of designing where the benches should be located in their neighbourhoods.

Key partners also stepped in to support investing in additional benches to add to the walking routes we had already developed.

This project will also be followed by the installation of age friendly benches in Charlestown, Hulme, Moss Side and Wythenshawe.

Location

Gorton and Abbey Hey (part of the Gorton and Levenshulme neighbourhood)

Benefits of Community based projects

Volunteering in community projects and performing acts of kindness can have a positive impact on mental wellbeing. There is a small amount of evidence to suggest that getting involved in environmental activities and projects may also have a positive impact on physical health. Community engagement can foster a greater sense of ownership and identification with the local area, which may lead to long-term sustainability. It can also combat social exclusion and empower individuals.

Evaluation

This project was a success, although it took longer to carry out than envisioned. Due to the lockdown, engagement about locations became quite challenging. Also, we learnt that the benches needed to be on flat ground which made planning walking routes in more hilly areas problematic.

One of the key successes from this piece of work is the way we involved partners and even encouraged funding (via Arcon Housing) to purchase and install additional benches around Gorton and Abbey Hey.

The legacy of this project is that now the benches have been installed, they are physical assets which will remain within the neighbourhoods and be used by residents on a daily basis. buzz have branding on the benches which gives the organisation a visible presence within the neighbourhoods. Also, partners want to use these benches as part of community event planning in the future so that they are celebrated regularly.

Project Team

Led by buzz Manchester Health & Wellbeing Service’s Age Friendly Team.

Developed with Manchester City Council’s Neighbourhoods Team, Age Friendly Team and Planning/Highways Team.

Supported by Arcon Housing, Local Councillors, Policing Teams, frontline workers across statutory, voluntary and community sectors, and active residents from each neighbourhood.

Strategic links to local/national policies

Benefit	Policy
Increased mental wellbeing	Manchester Health and Wellbeing Strategy
Social inclusion More engaged in community	Manchester Population Health Plan NHS Five Year Forward View (Department of Health, 2014) Manchester Population Health Plan
Community ownership and long-term sustainability	Healthy Lives, Healthy People (HM Government, 2010)
Empowerment of individuals	Healthy Lives, Healthy People (HM Government, 2010) NHS Five Year Forward View (Department of Health, 2014)
Increased physical activity and physical health	Manchester Health and Wellbeing Strategy