The event involved local residents walking around Halliwell with local ward councillors identifying community strengths and assets, whilst discussing anything they felt may need some development. Ambition for Ageing volunteers who lived in the local area also participated in the walk, helping other participants to look at their neighbourhood from an age-friendly perspective.

During the walk, volunteers and other older residents spent time discussing the things they really appreciated and enjoyed in their community as well as the things they felt needed improving. They also filled in an age-friendly questionnaire, which asked them simple yes/no questions asking for about the factors that could improve the locality for older people.

The findings from the questionnaire indicate that, although people felt that Halliwellis full of sociable residents happy to interact with each other, it also needs some improvements to make it more age-friendly. The availability of public toilets was a key issue. On the whole, people said that they felt the area is suffering from a lack of venues offering toilets open to the public. They cited this as a big deterrent for those who may want to get out and about but worry about accessing a toilet when needed.

With this information, Ambition for Ageing Bolton are planning on working with volunteers and in partnership with local agencies to develop a toilet scheme within community buildings. It is intended that staff working in these buildings will undertake age-friendly training and display window stickers to show that they welcome the older community using their toilet facilities.

We are also looking to organise similar age-friendly walkabouts in the Crompton and Tonge with The Haulgh areas.