Event: Nature and ageing well in towns and cities, 9 January 2020, Whitworth Art Gallery

Why not get the New Year off to a green, healthy and age-friendly start? Please do join us and to see what you can do to bring together agendas in arts and heritage, green infrastructure, health and wellbeing and age-friendly cities.

The Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing (MICRA) will be supporting the event delivered by the GHIA (Green Infrastructure and the Health and Wellbeing Influences on an Ageing Population) Project.

At the event, we will be sharing the learnings from a three-year project centred on understanding the value and benefits of urban nature for health and wellbeing in later life. The research has been based in Greater Manchester but the findings apply more widely. The project aims to understand the benefits and values of urban green infarastructure (GI) for older people and how green infrastructure, attributes, interventions and specific ‘greening projects’ can be best used to support healthy ageing in urban areas.

Green infrastructure, including blue (water-based) and green public space, can directly and indirectly influence health and wellbeing. However, access to health and wellbeing benefits is not shared equally amongst the population, particularly in urban areas. People aged 65 and over are most likely to suffer from poor health, yet this group may be the least likely to benefit from green infrastructure. Through the GHIA project, researchers with a range of academic specialisms work with project partners from Greater Manchester to investigate the value of urban GI in connection with the health and wellbeing of older people.

Attendees will discover research findings from members of the research team, interactive sessions showcasing our transferable methods and tools and inspiring talks from our project partners working across Greater Manchester. All attendees will also receive a copy of our final report and recommendations. Please join us and to see what you can do to bring together agendas in arts and heritage, green infrastructure, health and wellbeing and age-friendly cities.

A detailed programme for the day will be circulated in December. Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment!

This seminar will take place on 9 January 10am – 4pm at the Whitworth Art Gallery.