Active Ageing is creating opportunities for older people to get together in local neighbourhoods and take part in exercise, learn new things or join in arts and cultural activities.
Bolton Council is working in partnership with Age Concern Bolton and NHS Bolton to set up and promote Active Ageing sessions ranging from gentle exercises and T’ai Chi to craft sessions, modern art and line dancing. These are all activities that local senior citizens have expressed interest in and are proving very popular. An informal, relaxed approach is taken and everyone aged over 50 is welcome.
It’s called ‘Active Ageing’ because an important part of growing older positively and healthily is to be active mentally and physically, and there’s a real appetite for finding new ways to do this, meeting up with other people.
Where are activities taking place?
The North East of Bolton was the first area of Bolton to benefit from Active Ageing. There’s a full programme of Active Ageing activities at the Thicketford Centre, Tonge Moor, with a growing number of sessions in other venues in surrounding areas such as Harwood. From this base, activities are being organised in other parts of Bolton as well.
For details of current Active Ageing opportunities, please contact Emily Waller, Age Concern Bolton's Active Ageing Co-ordinator, using the Contacts tab of this page.
How to get involved in Active Ageing
Many activities are run by volunteers and more Active Ageing volunteers are needed from all areas. Other activities are run by local groups meeting in community venues. The aim is to compliment opportunities that are already on offer and to open up access to existing activities, whether they are run by the Council, voluntary organisations or at the local church hall. The intention is to gradually develop more activities across the Bolton Borough.
Wherever you live in the Bolton Borough, the external link to Active Bolton on the right hand side of the page will take you to a directory of physical activities for older people. You may also find the Older People web pages useful, plus the link to Age Concern Bolton's webpages which explain more about their services and activities.