The day began with a welcome from Zoe Hammett, Public Health Strategy Manager at Salford City Council, followed by opening remarks from Councillor John Merry CBE, Deputy Mayor of Salford and Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Health whose ongoing support for age-friendly initiatives in Salford was warmly acknowledged. Zoe presented data on Salford’s ageing population, setting the context for the day’s discussions. Paul McGarry, Head of the Greater Manchester Ageing Hub, was unable to attend due to illness, and his keynote address was replaced with a presentation on the Ageing in Place Pathfinder in Pendleton & Charlestown by Antonia Dunn, Age Friendly Salford programme manager.

The AIPP presentation showcased a four-year partnership focused on creating supportive neighbourhoods for ageing well. It highlighted resident-led co-production, creative and intergenerational projects, and safety and accessibility initiatives such as “Cuppa with a Copper” and walking audits. The project engaged over 300 older residents and led to improved wellbeing, reduced isolation and stronger community ties.

A highlight of the morning was the screening of Building Belonging, a short film co-produced with older residents. The film featured personal stories of connection, resilience and community, illustrating the importance of inclusive spaces and relationships in later life.

The co-production spotlight presentation, delivered by Antonia, Zoe and Salford resident Geoff Williamson, showcased how older people are shaping Salford’s future, not just as participants, but as leaders and co-creators. The presentation highlighted older residents’ contributions to Walking & Wheeling Audits, health research literacy and Salford’s Housing Strategy. Geoff shared his experience as an Age Friendly Assessor and reflected on the impact of projects like the Intergenerational Photography Project. Geoff’s insight and openness were deeply appreciated by attendees and helped ground the session in lived experience. We extend our sincere thanks to Geoff for his valuable contribution.

Before lunch, May Moonan, Director of Healthcare Public Health at Salford City Council, gave a short presentation on the newly launched Beat the Streets initiative in Salford. She encouraged attendees to take part in the programme, which aims to promote physical activity and community engagement through a fun, interactive walking challenge.
A delicious hot lunch was enjoyed by all, providing a relaxed opportunity for networking and informal conversation.
After lunch, the short film Age Friendly Salford served as a thoughtful and engaging introduction to the afternoon workshops. The film reminded us of Salford’s four core visions:
1.Older people are able to feel safe and travel to places which help keep them healthy and engaged.

2.Older people are able to find information and services to keep them healthy and engaged in activities.

3.Older people feel respected and included in neighbourhood activities to keep them healthy and engaged.

4.Older people are able to find opportunities for paid and unpaid work, as well as ensure their voice is heard to keep them healthy and engaged.

The film also highlighted the importance of neighbourhoods, listening to older residents, working together and creating inclusive communities. These film provided a meaningful foundation for the four afternoon workshops, Safer Together, Valuing Experience, Information That Empowers, and Inclusive Communities which explored practical ways to improve safety, inclusion, communication and participation. Stakeholders were encouraged to pledge actions that amplify older voices and foster meaningful connections.

The event concluded with feedback from the workshops and reflections from Zoe. Sincere thanks were extended to Councillor Merry, the Age Friendly Salford staff team, members of the Public Health team who had facilitated the afternoon workshops and to all the older residents and stakeholder representatives who contributed their time, insights and energy to the day.

See the Film

 I’m a Age Friendly Salford development worker and my job involves setting up and delivering basic digital skills courses (Tech and Tea) to older people in community venues across the city. 

 When I get to the office at just before 9am, my working day starts, as always, with a good brew and a quick catch up with colleagues before I check my emails and messages.  This morning, I am setting up 12 tablets for my courses which start next week in Walkden and Swinton.  It’s a long job which will take most of the day; but it’s important to ensure that all updates and apps have been installed so that participants can use their tablet straight out the box next week. 

 At 11am, I leave the tablets updating, (they take up a whole row of desks in the office, but people are used to seeing this now!) to log into Zoom for the Tuesday Zoom, I spend the hour talking to the group about how to stay safe online.  I deliver a digital session once a month, with my colleagues we each take a turn to running these Tuesday Zooms, next week it’s a reminiscing session, remembering and talking about childhood games. 

 After I log out of Zoom, it’s time for lunch.  I’ve been in the office all morning so it’s a good time to stretch my legs and I walk to the shop to buy a sandwich. Back at the office, I sit with some colleagues and we talk about the football and a TV show we are all watching. 

 This afternoon I check on the tablets and some of them are completed and can be put back in their boxes.  Next I go through my list of Tech and Tea enquiries.  This is a list of people who have either signed up via the Age Friendly Salford website, have sent us an email or who have phoned the office.   I speak with a lovely 82 year old woman who tells me her grandson has encouraged her to join Tech and Tea.  She worries about being too old; I tell her no one is too old and reassure her that the classes are really relaxed and cover the basics, nothing too complicated.  She thanks me and signs up for our next course at Pendleton Gateway starting in a few weeks time. 

 The final tablets are now all set up, so they too go back in their boxes and all 12 go back in the cupboard ready for next week.  It’s nearly the end of my day, so I check my email again and my calendar for tomorrow – I’m doing adult safeguarding training in the morning and then I’m out of the office in the afternoon visiting a sheltered scheme in Irlam to talk about delivering Tech and Tea to their residents. 

On the bus on the way home, I check to see if any of my favourite artists are doing gigs in and around Manchester.  It’s been a really busy but fulfilling day and tonight I am going to play snooker with a friend to relax and unwind, ready to start again tomorrow. 

That’s where Tech and Tea comes in – a free course designed to help people over 50 use technology with confidence. Tech and Tea is a five-week course that provides one-hour classes per week. The course is focused on helping Older people  learn how to use technology for various purposes, such as online shopping, accessing local information, and connecting with family and friends.

The course is designed to be user-friendly, with step-by-step instructions and hands-on practice sessions. To join the course, you must be over 50 and a Salford resident. The course provides a tablet for a contribution of £30, which is a small price to pay for the knowledge and confidence gained from the course.

At the end of the course, if you don’t want to keep the tablet, you can return it and receive a full refund of the £30. The Tech and Tea course is a great initiative that empowers Older people to embrace technology. It helps them stay connected with their loved ones and access vital information online. It also opens up a world of opportunities, such as online shopping and entertainment.

The course has received positive feedback from its participants. They have praised the course for its interactive and user-friendly approach. and has also helped them overcome their fear of technology whilst giving them the confidence to use it in their daily lives.

In conclusion, Tech and Tea is a fantastic initiative that helps senior citizens learn how to use technology with confidence. It is an excellent opportunity for Salford residents over 50 to gain valuable knowledge and skills in technology. If you or someone you know could benefit from this course, don’t hesitate to sign up. It’s never too late to learn something new!

What the video Below

Vanda from Age UK Salford lead a presentation about the Age Friendly Standards; what they are, how they came about and how attendees could get involved. This was followed by the CEO of Langworthy Cornerstone, Bev Fletcher. Bev spoke about their venue, which is Age Friendly Standards approved and why this is important for the local community.

Attendees then broke off into smaller groups, using the Standards assessment form to consider a venue they visit and how it might meet the criteria.  This generated positive conversations, highlighting the good work that is being done across Salford for older people.

“It’s so easy for us all to moan about things that aren’t good and need to change, but the Age Friendly Standards are really positive. The Standards are a really good way of recognising the positive things that are already happening.”

Several attendees then signed up to become assessors, helping to grow our list of age-friendly venues. If you’d like to find out more about the Age Friendly Standards and become an assessor, click here.

Our Older People’s Network meetings are every quarter and bring people together to share their views and help influence policy and service provision in Salford. To hear about upcoming meetings, keep an eye on the ‘Activities’ page on our website or sign up to our weekly newsletter, by emailing AFS@inspiringcommunitiestogether.co.uk.

Read Norma’s story by clicking here.