A new programme to help older residents in Tameside enjoy a better quality of life has just been launched.
Live Well in Later Life is being run by Jigsaw Support to help residents aged 50 and over in the Dukinfield-Stalybridge area have a happier, healthier life as they grow older.
Supported by Tameside Council, Live Well in Later Life forms part of Greater Manchester’s wider Live Well movement and Greater Manchester’s Age-friendly Strategy, where an investment of £4.8 million is being delivered across the region to help older people live well, stay connected, and thrive within their communities.
Live Well in Later Life is building on the success and positive impact of Greater Manchester’s Ageing in Place Pathfinder programme, which was delivered across ten neighbourhoods in Greater Manchester and trialled new ways of supporting older people in their communities between 2022 and 2025 to build age-friendly spaces where people can thrive.
In Tameside, this innovative pathfinder project was delivered by Jigsaw Support in the Ridgehill area of Stalybridge, where improvements included creating Health Care Champions that will help bring NHS and local health services closer to residents. It also involved creating outdoor places such as memorial trees, edible walkways and age-friendly planters and the creation of a new charitable organisation, Ridgehill Together, that will sustain and build on the work of Ageing in Place.
Building on this success, the key to the Live Well in Later Life programme in Dukinfield–Stalybridge will be found through community engagement centred around what it is like to live in the area, how it could be made better and working together.
At a launch event, held at The Together Centre in Dukinfield earlier this week, residents and key stakeholders came together to find out more and start the process.
Residents over 50 who live in this area are being encouraged to get involved and have their say on what will make the area a better place to live well and grow older.
Phil Brooke, Community Engagement Worker for Jigsaw Support said:
“Live Well in Later Life is about working with residents to understand what matters most to them and building on the strengths that already exist in Dukinfield-Stalybridge. We want to bring together local people, community groups and partner organisations to create more opportunities for people to stay connected, active and supported as they get older. Ultimately, we hope this programme will help shape a community where people can live well, feel valued and age positively. We are particularly keen to hear from people who may not usually get involved, so that this work reflects the needs of the whole community.”
Local resident Gill Borg said: “This is a brilliant idea. I’m really looking forward to getting involved and having the opportunity to share our concerns. It has been lovely meeting everyone today and finding out more and I can’t wait for things to get started.”
Mary Gladwin said: “As an older person, I think it is important that our voices are heard. We have a lot to offer and we can all learn from each other. I love the idea of intergenerational work too, working with younger people so that we can respect, understand and learn from each other. I think loneliness, health and affordability are the main priorities for older people and this project could be great for this.”
Donna Kelly, Group Director of Support and Neighbourhoods at Jigsaw Homes Group said:
“Live Well in Later Life builds on what we learned through the Ageing in Place Pathfinder in Ridgehill, where we saw the real difference that listening to residents and working alongside local partners such as housing providers, community empowerment programmes, councils, the NHS and other voluntary organisations, can make.
“We want to take that learning and use it to shape support in Dukinfield-Stalybridge, creating more opportunities for people to stay connected, active and independent as they get older. By working together with local people, community groups and organisations, we hope to build stronger, more age-friendly communities where everyone can live well in later life.”
Tameside Council’s Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Inclusivity, Councillor Jackie Lane, said: “Listening to what support our communities need is at the heart of Live Well in Later Life.
“We have seen great things grow in Ridge Hill during the pathfinder project and so it’s exciting to see how Dukinfield-Staybridge will build on this learning. Every town in Tameside is unique; I really encourage residents in the area who are over 50 to get involved and shape exactly what local support they need to live well.”
For more information, including how to get involved, visit:
