Ageing

Abbey Hey, Manchester

Southway Housing is the lead organisation for the Pathfinder neighbourhood of Abbey Hey.

Abbey Hey is located in the south east of Manchester under the Gorton and Abbey Hey ward.

Gorton and Abbey Hey is characterised by a higher concentration of residents over the age of 65 (11% of the total population) and has relatively highly deprivation, according to the Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index. The neighbourhood is ethnically diverse and has a higher proportion of social housing, including several specialist housing providers such as Gorton Mill House. Furthermore, clusters of people aged over 65 living alone and in poor health are found in this area.

Abbey Hey has many green spaces including parks, gardens, a bowling green, allotments, cycle paths, as well as a community centre and Gorton Mill community café.

Engaging with residents

Southway Housing have used different methods to engage with local residents, including interactive engagement activities, creative and mapping workshops, consultations, small group discussions, partnership board meetings, walk and talks, site visits, and much more.

The organisation listens to older people’s voices and their lived experiences, in particular regarding the values, opportunities, issues, concerns and barriers they experience to ageing well.

What we know so far

The top issues that residents have highlighted are:

A lack of places for older people to gather socially
Insufficient transport links
Concerns over fly-tipping and litter
Concerns over community safety including fear of walking alone due to crime and anti-social behaviour and a lack of police presence and street lighting

The most valued things by residents are:

Gardening and nature
History and memory
Good friends and neighbours

The improvements residents would like to see:

More community and green spaces
Better transport links
Better healthcare
More community activities
Improved community safety

International Day of Older Persons 2023

For International Day of Older Persons, Greater Manchester Combined Authority partnered with Yellow Jigsaw to film local older residents in place.

Throughout August and September, films were recorded with local residents in each of the Ageing in Place Pathfinder neighbourhoods. Below is the video recorded with Lynne in Abbey Hey.

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For more information about Abbey Hey Pathfinder, visit Southway Housing’s website.

Article Published: 28/06/2024 10:16 AM