Greater Manchester Older People's Network

21/08/2026

What’s on your doorstep?

This International Day of Older People, we want to celebrate the people, places, and services that help older people stay active and connected across Greater Manchester.

Maybe it’s a community group that brings people together, a welcoming café, a brilliant local volunteer, a park or green space, or a service that helps older people stay active and connected.

Big or small, we want to hear about it! This is not a competition; every nomination will be recognised.

Nominate a person, place, group, service or organisation in your community that deserves a shout-out and tell us why it matters to older people.

Make a nomination: https://www.gmopn.org.uk/whatsonyourdoorstep

Nominations close: 20 September 2026

24/07/2026

The GMOPN invited the Greater Manchester mayoral candidates to respond to five questions shaped by our members.

Every candidate was offered the same opportunity to provide either a written or video response.

We’ve created a webpage where you can see the full list of candidates and any responses received. Where a response is not shown, we’re still waiting to receive one. Click on the button below to take you to the page.

If further responses arrive, the page will be updated accordingly.

Publishing these responses does not imply endorsement of any candidate or party.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Mayoral Election will take place on 30 July.

We are grateful to the candidates who have taken the time to engage with our members’ questions.

The GMOPN invited all Greater Manchester mayoral candidates to respond to five questions shaped by our members. All candidates were offered equal opportunity to submit either a written or video response. Below is the full list of candidates, and where responses are not shown, we’re still waiting t...

24/06/2026

The June 2026 GMOPN newsletter is now available!

This edition includes:

✅ Information about our new membership renewal process and why we are refreshing our membership records
✅ Details of our upcoming social event at the Imperial War Museum North, a great opportunity to connect with others and enjoy an afternoon out
✅ Updates from our Working Groups, including recent discussions and upcoming meetings
✅ Stories and highlights from recent events

Whether you’re interested in health and social care, housing, transport, tackling loneliness, or helping to shape change across Greater Manchester, there’s something for everyone.

Take a look and find out what the network has been up to, what’s coming next, and how you can get involved.

Not a member yet? Join us and help ensure older people’s voices are heard across Greater Manchester.

Join as an individual: https://www.gmopn.org.uk/join-as-individual

Join as an organisational member: https://www.gmopn.org.uk/join-as-organisation

Link to newsletter: https://canva.link/lcb2z075esv53xv

Check out this A4 designed by Alex Burgess.

17/06/2026

Today, our members came together for an enjoyable social event in support of Loneliness Awareness Week. Special guest, comedian Smug Roberts, brought plenty of humour and laughter to the day, as he led his 'Pick-a-Picture' activity, using personal photographs to spark conversations around connection, belonging, and the people, places, and moments that matter to us.

12/06/2026

A huge thank you to Juliette Yardley for leading our Standing Up, Standing Down workshop with GMOPN members.

We spent the day talking about confidence, communication, and how we can create spaces where everyone feels able to contribute and be heard.

It was great to learn from each other and reflect on how these skills show up in our work at GMOPN and in everyday life.

Thank you again, Juliette, for creating a welcoming space and sharing your time and expertise with us.

28/05/2026

Standing Up, Standing Down
Building confidence in yourself and others

Join us for a friendly and practical workshop about confidence, communication and helping everyone’s voice be heard. The day will explore how we speak up when it matters, listen well to others, and create welcoming conversations and groups where people feel comfortable taking part.

Whether it’s in meetings, community groups, appointments, family life or everyday situations, many of us have times when we need more confidence or want to communicate more effectively. This workshop is about building on the skills and life experience you already have.

During the day, we will explore:

-Practical ways to build confidence in speaking up and sharing ideas
-How to encourage quieter voices and include different perspectives
-Recognising when to “stand up” and when to “stand down”
-Ways to handle conversations and discussions more positively
-How our everyday experiences already shape the way we lead and support others
-The session will be relaxed, interactive and welcoming, with plenty of opportunities for discussion, reflection and shared experiences

The workshop is free to attend and lunch will be provided.

Register Here: https://www.gmopn.org.uk/event-details/standing-up-standing-down-workshop

21/05/2026

Join us for our Summer Social Event with special guest Smug Roberts, held in support of Loneliness Awareness Week and this year's theme "giving loneliness a voice".

This event will bring GMOPN members, community partners, and organisations from across Greater Manchester together for an afternoon of games, food, conversation, and connection.

The session is hosted by consulting psychologist and published author, Polly Kaiser, and includes a story telling workshop by comedian Smug Roberts using his simple pick-a-picture activity to spark memories and conversation.

For our event, we'll invite participants to pick a picture that reminds them of a time, person, or moment when they felt a sense of connection and belonging. Participants can bring a physical photo from home or have one ready on their phone.

Expect a warm atmosphere and join in at your own pace.

Please RSVP using the link below no later than 05 June 2026:
https://www.gmopn.org.uk/event-details/summer-social-event-2026

We hope to see you there!

13/05/2026

It was great to bring the GMOPN Steering Group together today as we looked ahead to the many important events, conversations, and pieces of work coming up across the network in the months ahead. We are also pleased to welcome new members and are excited to have them as part of the team.

22/04/2026

Check out our April 2026 Newsletter to stay connected to the GMOPN and the work we are doing across Greater Manchester to ensure older people's voices are being heard.

Click the link below:
https://canva.link/uxh5echhsliqu2h

Would you prefer a PDF version of the newsletter? Click the link below:
https://www.gmopn.org.uk/newsletter

21/04/2026

The GMOPN team joined the Community Day event hosted by F.C United of Manchester at Broadhurst Park in Moston this weekend, celebrating North Manchester’s vibrant community. We connected with local residents face-to-face and shared our work that ensures older people’s voices are heard across Greater Manchester. In honour of the community day, we offered an activity that highlighted the special places in the community, those places that bring us together and foster a sense of belonging. We asked attendees to share the places that make them feel part of the community or where the often connect with others. People enjoyed sharing their community places which included:

F.C. United / Broadhurst Park
David Lewis Recreational Ground
Beautiful Minds in Moston
Peel Park
Coach Hene Sports Club
No 93 Wellness Centre
Collyhurst and Moston Boxing Club
Chatterbox
The Moston Brook
Ordsall Park

See more photos from the day by visiting the GMOPN photo gallery: https://www.gmopn.org.uk/photo-gallery