The Equalities Board (EB) of Ambition for Ageing was a group of people who know about discrimination and inequality from life experiences, or because of work, supported by a small staff team. It was based at LGBT Foundation from 2015-2020. The EB amplified the voices of older people from marginalised communities and made sure they were heard within AfA. It helped to ensure that the local delivery of the programme reached those most at risk of social isolation, and kept equalities issues on the agenda. The work of the EB produced valuable knowledge about equalities in place-based working that contributed to the learning of the AfA programme.

Publications, reports and toolkits by the Equalities Board can be downloaded from the resources section of this website, or from the website of Greater Manchester Older People (GMOPN).

Research and evaluation outputs from the Equalities Board have included:

• Making Age-Friendly Neighbourhoods Inclusive (2019)
• The value of small community-led equalities research projects (2020)

The Greater Manchester Older People’s Network (GMOPN) supported by Manchester Community Central (MACC), provided an opportunity for older people to have a voice in the design, delivery and evaluation of the Ambition for Ageing programme during its delivery phase.

From March 2020, the GMOPN will continue to provide a voice for older people across the city region.

Membership is open to all older people living in Greater Manchester. The network members meet regularly to:

• discuss matters of concern to older people
• share ideas that could have a positive benefit for people's lives
• develop ways to improve or change policies or services for older people

For more information on their current work and priorities, please visit their webpage: https://www.manchestercommunitycentral.org/policy-and-influence/gm-older-peoples-network

Contacts: 

Liz Jones 

Greater Manchester Older People’s Network Development Worker

T: 0161 834 9823

E: liz@macc.org.uk

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) leads on the evaluation of the Ambition for Ageing programme.

Outcomes led, the overall approach seeks to understand whether and to what extent:

• Place-based interventions are effective at reducing the circumstances in which social isolation can occur
• Repeated small interventions can lead to measurable and positive change
• A community led, participatory approach is sustainable
• Asset based approaches are effective at increasing social participation  

In 2020, the GMCA will be producing a final end of delivery reports, as per the interim reports below, and a final report on equalities in the Ambition for Ageing programme.

Recent research and evaluation outputs for have included:

• Interim local evaluation report 2018 
• Building age-friendly neighbourhoods in Greater Manchester
• Interim local evaluation report 2019

Contact: 

Dave Barker

Lead Analyst – Evaluation and Ageing

T: 07725 481082

E: david.barker@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk

Part of the University of Manchester, the Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing (MICRA) leads on Ambition for Ageing’s research programme.

MICRA works both with older people engaged by Ambition for Ageing to understand the impact of the programme, and alongside our partners to ensure they are aware of relevant research and thinking on the nature of ageing and social isolation.

Additionally, MICRA leads on wider research into how older people can shape service delivery and the issue of equality within older peoples’ provision. In this way they bridge the gap between academic research, policy and practice.

Working closely with MICRA, Ambition for Ageing organises regular seminars addressing a range of topical ageing issues.

Upcoming work includes further research into shared spaces and social infrastructure, as well as meta-analysis of the five research reports from our BAME research project.

Research reports include:

• Social Isolation and Older Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic People in Greater Manchester
• Social Infrastructure: How shared spaces make communities work

Contacts: 

Chris Phillipson

Professor of Sociology and Social Gerontology

T: 0161 306 6970

E: christopher.phillipson@manchester.ac.uk

Sophie Yarker

Research Fellow

E: sophie.yarker@manchester.ac.uk