Thirty-two neighbourhoods across Greater Manchester have been officially recognised as age-friendly by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.

The Mayor announced the winners of his Age-Friendly Challenge during Greater Manchester’s “Doing Ageing Differently” conference.

The awards recognise the hard work that organisations and older people across Greater Manchester have carried out to make their area a great place to grow older. An age-friendly neighbourhood is a place where: residents are committed to looking out for each other, older people feel they can have a say in what’s going on in their local area, and there are spaces where people can get together. The awards also show that each area is committed to helping older people feel: independent, safe and secure, and informed about what is going on in their local area.

The challenge was supported by Ambition for Ageing and submissions to Mayor’s Age-Friendly Challenge were reviewed by an expert panel chaired by Prof. Chris Phillipson from MICRA at The University of Manchester. Other panellists included representatives from Greater Manchester Older People’s Network, Ambition for Ageing, and the Centre for Ageing Better.

The neighbourhoods now officially recognised as age-friendly, are:

Bolton - Crompton

Bolton -  Halliwell

Bolton -  Tonge with the Haulgh

Bury -  Moorside

Bury -  Radcliffe

Bury -  St Mary's

Manchester -  Ancoats

Manchester -  Levenshulme

Manchester - Old Moat

Manchester - Whalley Range

Manchester - Burnage

Manchester - Hulme & Moss Side

Manchester - Miles Platting

Manchester - Moston

Oldham - Alexandra

Oldham - Crompton

Oldham - Failsworth West

Rochdale - Central

Rochdale - Firgrove & Smallbridge

Rochdale - West Middleton

Salford - Broughton

Salford - Weaste & Seedley

Stockport - Heatons

Tameside -Mottram

Tameside - Denton Sth

Tameside - Newton

Tameside - Waterloo

Trafford - Clifford

Wigan - Shevington

Wigan - Atherton

Wigan - Leigh West

Wigan - Pemberton

Accredited schemes will now be promoted by Ambition for Ageing as examples of best practice, including to external funders.