Chorlton Good Neighbours

Talk on Memory Loss and Dementia

2012-03-04T12:08:00.002Z

Sally Ferris from Alzheimers UK led an interactive session at Chorlton Good Neighbours Coffee Morning on March 1st 2012. This gives a flavour of her talk, which was excellent

Don's Exercise Class

2012-02-17T19:18:00.002Z

Don OConnor's exercise Class at Chorlton Good Neighbours, Feb 17th 2012. This was the first part of a one hour exercise session, mainly seated, that Don holds every week for people mainly in their 70's, 80's and 90's

Chorlton Good Neighbours User survey

2012-02-11T19:53:00.002Z

Chorlton Good Neighbours (CGN) is a neighbourhood care group coveringthe Chorlton, Chorlton Park and Whalley Range areas of South Manchester. It wasestablished in 1967 by local people and has evolved to become awell-established charity offering a range of services to local older people. Itcurrently has over 250 users and 70 volunteers.Thisreport analyses a survey of 76 of its users carried out by CGN care group inthe Autumn of 2011.

The full results of this survey can be viewed and downloaded from http://goo.gl/cGWfX

The study conclude that as well as being centrally importantto many people who use its services,Chorlton Good Neighbours also contributes considerably to theirlong term mental and physical wellbeing. The findings illustrate that CGN:

· Assistsusers in maintainingtheir independence;

· Helpsto reduce their social exclusion,depression and isolation;

· Improvesusers physical and mental health ;

· Providesaccess to useful, practical & regular information, advice and support;

· Helpsusers to feel safe and secure in their community

· Reducesthe adverse impact of long-term conditions through health related activitiesand empower people to manage their own health

· Providesopportunities for users to participateand make a positive contribution to the community and retain their independence

Percentage of Manchester residents who agree thattheir local area is
“a place where people from different backgroundsget on well together"

Source: Manchester City Council 2006/07 Best Value Survey

Whilst it would beunrealistic to attribute feelings of cohesion and neighbourliness in Chorlton andWhalley Range just to the impact of CGN or even the role of older peoplegenerally (economic factors must play a significant role), it is interestingthat Chorlton, Chorlton Park and Whalley Range came top of all the wards inManchester in “getting on well together”.They are also at the top or close to the top in surveys of volunteering andattachment to the local area

Regardless of the statistics, we know that the service offered by CGN to both its users and its volunteers is highly valued. We realise that we cannot stand still and have to continually change to meet new social and economic conditions as well as changing needs of older people. One of the main benefits of the survey was to find out what has worked well and what less so, what new areas of activity should be explored and innovations implemented. The older men’s project is an example of this forward thinking.

However, it is also important o note the continuity of services offered by the care group. Core activities such as home visits, wheelchair support, coffee morning, Sunday teas and day tripsremain at the heart of what we deliver as they provide a haven of friendship and support – neighbourliness – which enrich the lives of all those involved with Chorlton Good Neighbours.

The Gardening Project gets started

2012-01-29T10:24:00.002Z

On a lovely, sunny but very cold January morning, we got the Chorlton Good Neighbours gardening project under way. The idea is to reclaim a piece of land next to our offices and make it into a garden, sitting place and vegetable growing area. It will be great for all our users and volunteers, but it is especially targeted at getting more older men involved in the project.

We have done some initial planning, but felt it was time to get out there and actually start clearing the ground. The video and photos are a record of our first go at clearing the plot

There were two views on the brambles - one was to blitz them and get rid of them altogether. The other was to tidy them up and keep a patch of the brambles in a shady part of the garden to encourage wild life. Keeping some brambles won the day, for the time being, but made it clear that we needed to develop a clear plan on what we wanted to avoid confusion

The brambles, before and after tidying up

Clearing the weeds

There was also a discussion about the privet hedge with some thinking that it should be replaced by a fence as it is sometimes decribed as a 'noxious weed'. Others though were keen on keeping a trimmed hedge as providing cover for a number of beneficial insects and birds, so this argument won the day and the hedge stays.

Despite the cold weather, a lot of people turned up and it turned out to be a great day with plenty of breaks for cups of tea and lunch of Yvonne's leek & potato soup, plus bread

Curling at Chorlton Good Neighbours

2012-01-22T21:01:00.000Z

Indoor game of curling in the Church Hall at Chorlton Good Neighbours, Jan 2012

Thank you letter from Brookburn pupil

2012-01-22T09:57:00.003Z

In November 2012, members of Chorlton Good Neighbours visited Brookburn Primary School, Chorlton to talk to the year 6 students about what it was like being in Chorlton during and after World War 2. We received a lot of thank you letters from the children which were terrific. Here is one of them:

Volunteers Christmas Meal 2011

2011-12-20T22:47:00.000Z

Chorlton Good Neighbours, Manchester. Volunteers Christmas meal, 20th Dec 2011. Only some of the 70+ volunteers for Good neighbours could make it to the meal, but a big thanks to all of our volunteers for their contributions throughout the year

2011-12-09T15:34:00.001Z

Helen Hibberd, coordinator of Chorlton Good Neighbours Care Group, Manchester was on Woman's Hour, Radio 4 on 9th Dec 2011 to talk about neighbourliness. This is her part of the talk plus some photos of Good Neighbours users and volunteers

Chorlton Good Neighbours, 2007 video

2011-12-09T13:58:00.001Z

This is part of a video shot in 2007 which describes the work of Chorlton Good Neighbours Care Group, Manchester. It focuses on the range of activities and services it offers to older people in the local community, and how how valued it is both by its users and its volunteers. It now caters to over 270 users and has over 70 volunteers

Christmas Party, Dec 2011

2011-12-04T21:14:00.001Z

The Chorlton Good neighbours Chriustmas party was held on 4th Dec 2011.

It featured the singing group the Sparklers

Visit to Brookburn Primary School

2011-11-23T20:13:00.001Z

Sharing Memories

Members of Chorlton Good Neighbours on their visit to Brookburn Primary School, Chorlton on 23 Nov 2011. We were there to talk to the year 6 students about what it was like being in Chorlton during and after World War 2. The visit was enjoyed equally by children and adults alike, and we left stuffed full of the cakes that the children had made for us - and bags of them to take home too!

Bernard Leach

Micky Mitchell talked about her driving a petrol tanker around Manchester in World War Two, even in the middle of air raids

Bernard shows the children pictures form the "Memories of Chorlton" booklet produced by Chorlton Good Neighbours

Mary Platt

Arthur Brandreth

Jack Baker

Alan Brown brought along pictures of a Barrage Balloon on Beech Rd Park during the war and a photo of a train at Chorlton Station in the 1950's.

You can see above, some of the questions the children had prepared in advance

Susan Baker

Hilda Mason

Pumpkin pie

2011-11-08T23:39:00.001Z

Cracking Good Food at Chorlton Good Neighbour Mon 7th Nov: Pumpkin pie, and spotted dick for pudding - terrific session! Many thanks to Rob & Co for a great morning's cooking

Sunday Tea

2011-11-06T20:32:00.001Z

Typical Sunday Tea at Chorlton Good Neighbours, featuring bingo, food and music from members of the Beech Band

First Aid course

2011-10-29T08:20:00.000+01:00

First Aid course at Chorlton Good Neighbours held on Oct 28th 2011

Philip Lloyd, historian

2011-09-19T15:44:00.000+01:00

Philip Lloyd, Local Chorlton Historian and ex chair of Chorlton Good Neighbours talks about his life growing up in Chorlton-cum-Hardy. He has lived all his life above the family shop which was founded by his grandfather when the parade of shops opened on wat was the Darley park estate in 1910,

The Sweet Cordials

2011-09-08T13:15:00.001+01:00

The Sweet Cordials singing at Chorlton Good Neighbours, Sun Sep 4th 2011

John the Baker

2011-05-01T11:00:00.000+01:00

John the Baker's memories of Chorlton. John still gets up at 3am most mornings to go into work at the Barbakan bakery. His memories of Chorlton, Manchester stretch back to world war 2 and, street parties at the end of the war. His mother delivered milk to neighbours in Chorlton with pails of milk in a handcart. His grandmother who was in Chorlton in 1910 remembers hearing Corncrakes oin the meadows, a bird now only found in the Hebrides

Marjorie Holmes

2011-04-26T23:49:00.001+01:00

Marjorie - 90 years of Chorlton memories - Marjorie's memories of living in Chorlton, a place she was born in 90 years ago. As well as memories of St Clement's old church and going for milk at Ivygreen Farm, she was also in the RAF in WW2 as a flight mechanic and remembers German prisoner's of war working on fields next to Wilbraham Road

Joan, Christine, Marion & Enid

2011-04-12T22:51:00.005+01:00

Joan, Christine, Marion & Enid having a discussion about their memories of Chorlton, before and after World War 2, and their current roles as volunteers in Chorlton Good Neighbours

Exercising

2011-04-04T23:10:00.001+01:00

Exercising to George Formby's "When I'm Cleaning Windows" at

Chorlton Good Neighbours Spring Party on Sun Apr 3rd 2011

Open Voice Choir

2011-04-04T23:05:00.001+01:00

Open Voice choir from Whalley Range

performing at Chorlton Good Neighbours Spring Party on Sunday 3rd April 2011

Ray show how to play the spoons

2011-04-04T23:02:00.001+01:00

Ray show how to play the spoons at Chorlton Good Neighbours Spring Party

Farewell to Arthur, wheelchair support worker

2011-04-03T23:00:00.001+01:00

A presentation at the Spring Party to Arthur Brandreth
who has been the wheelchair support worker

at Chorlton Good Neighbours for over 10 years

Arthur, wheelchair support worker

2011-03-29T17:13:00.001+01:00

Arthur Brandreth has been the wheelchair support worker at Chorlton Good Neighbours

for more than 10 years, come rain or shine. He retires this week (01-04-2011).

This video shows him, and Amanda who is taking over his role, taking Eileen out to the shops. This is Eileen's first time out and about for 2 months since coming out of hospital.

Joan Wood

2011-03-24T19:13:00.001Z

Joan Wood of Chorlton Good Neighbours, looks back at her life in Manchester -

bringing up a family in Chorlton and her work as a science teacher

John Brownhill plays the piano

2011-03-24T18:44:00.001Z

John Brownhill playing the piano at Chorlton Good Neighbours, Thurs Mar 24th 2011.

He taught himself to play 40 years ago

2011-03-24T18:08:00.000Z

Andrew Dawson, a volunteer with Chorlton Neighbours, talks about his involvement with CGN and his family's important role in the development of Chorltonville

Hilda's Paintings

2011-03-22T19:17:00.000Z

Hilda Mason, shows the paintings she did since she joined art classes at Chorlton Good Neighbours. Followed by a coffee with Bernard on Beech Road

Phillip Lloyd's history of Good Neighbours

2011-03-17T21:28:00.000Z

A short history of chorlton good neighbours given by Phillip Lloyd at the EGM held on Thursday 17th March 2011

Renee Smith

2011-03-17T19:22:00.000Z

Renee Smith talks about her life in Manchester and Chorlton which she has lived in for many years

Tess Lamb

2011-03-03T20:26:00.000Z

Interview with Tess Lamb of Chorlton Good Neighbours, looking back on her life in Chorlton

Hilda Mason

2011-02-24T20:28:00.000Z

Hilda Mason of Chorlton Good Neighbours talks about her life in Chorlton and her views on how important CGN is to older people in Chorlton