Greater Manchester, the UK’s first age-friendly region, staged its first Festival of Ageing from 2nd July - 15th July. Over 8000 people attended over 350 events across Greater Manchester
Designed to celebrate ageing across the city-region, there were a host of fun activities for over 50s and their families and friends to enjoy. Attendees took part in a number of activities including climbing walls, boat races, axe throwing, painting, arts and crafts, theatre, tai chi, walking football and much more.
The fortnight’s events brought people together to try something new, meet other people, make friends and have a good time. Amongst the 350 events held as part of the festival were coffee mornings, fitness sessions, digital workshops, wellbeing drop-ins, public lectures, knitting groups, local history discussions, social meet-ups, dances, art groups, swing music nights, games mornings, singing groups, book groups and much, much more.
So successful was the event that plans are already afoot to raise funding to run another festival in 2019. Ideas about how to make this one even bigger and better are being invited via a short survey which you can fill in online here
A press release issued on 16 July, just after the event finished, is available here