Supporting Dukinfield and Stalybridge residents to 'Live Well'

A new programme has launched to help residents aged over 50 in Dukinfield and Stalybridge to have a happier, healthier life as they grow older.

Live Well in Later Life (LWILL) is supported by Tameside Council and run by Jigsaw Support (part of Jigsaw Homes) as part of Greater Manchester’s wider Live Well movement and Greater Manchester’s Age-friendly Strategy, 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.

At a launch event at The Together Centre in Dukinfield on Tuesday 2 June, residents and stakeholders came together to find out more about the opportunity for people over 50 in Dukinfield and Stalybridge to get involved and have their say on what would support them locally to live well in later life.

The scheme follows a similar project named Aging in Place that was delivered in Rigehill, Stalybridge, between 2022 and 2025 to support improvements for older people living in the area. This included creating Health Care Champions to 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.

Tameside Council Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Inclusivity, Cllr Jackie Lane, said: ‘’Listening to what support our communities need is at the heart of Live Well in Later Life. We’ve seen great things grow in Ridge Hill during the pathfinder project and so it’s exciting to see how Dukinfield and Staybridge will build on this learning. Every town in Tameside is unique and 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.’’

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.”

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.”

Find more information on the scheme and a survey for people over 50 in the Dukinfield/Stalybridge area at https://support.jigsawhomes.org.uk/information-article/live-well-in-later-life