Funded by Ambition for Ageing, the festival is being co-ordinated by a partnership of five groups, 4CT (a charity in Manchester), HMR Circle (in Rochdale), MMU Age Friendly Team, Persona (in Bury) and Wigan Athletic Community Trust. The celebratory event will portray a more positive view of ageing, as well as encouraging policy-makers to take the action needed to improve the lives of Greater Manchester’s 907,000 older people – a figure set to rise to 1.1million in the next twenty years.

The Festival will offer a range of activities, fun, music, dancing, hobbies, physical activities, information and lots of opportunities for individuals and communities to join in or create their own festival fringe event. Events and activities planned so far over the festival fortnight are as follows:

• Launch event in Manchester city centre on Monday 2nd July 2018
• Borough events in Salford, Wigan, Bury, Bolton, Tameside, Rochdale and Oldham
• Finale event in Manchester city centre on Sunday 15th July
• Lots of small neighbourhood events and activities around different locations around Greater Manchester

Groups and individual older people (anyone aged 50+) are all warmly encouraged to get involved. See our Festival of Ageing web page for more details and how to apply to take part as event host, an attendee or volunteer, or a performer.