Survey of Good Neighbours' Exercise Classes

Good Neighbours gets funding for its weekly exercise sessions with the Getting Active Through Exercise (GATE) Project. These sessions take place on Mondays (1.30 pm),  Wednesdays (1.30pm) and Fridays at 10.00am.

In order to evaluate how useful these sessions are to participants Good Neighbours and GATE cooperated in carrying out a survey of those who attend these classes. A full report of this survey and those carried out at GATE funded exercise classes elsewhere in Manchester will be published late, but the initial findings from the CGN survey are now available

Nearly all the  replies gathered through the survey exercise were extremely positive, and has shown that the GATE project classes are a well received, popular service of benefit to the attendees of the classes taking place at Chorlton Good Neighbours. 54 filled in questionnaires out of a possible 65, which is a high response rate (84%)

Attendees ages ranged from 65 to 96, with the average age being 79 which shows you are never too old to exercise

One if four got to the sessions by transport provided by CGN, without which they would have been unable to attend. Many thanks to the volunteer drivers who make this possible

The respondents reported that as a result of attending the classes they had

• confidence in preparing or cooking a light meal (54%)
• increased confidence in walking round the house (53%)
• Confidence doing light housework (48%)
• Confidence going out to do light shopping (41%)

In order of importance they rated the following benefits of coming to the classes:

• greater flexibility (28%)
• spending time with others (17%)
• decreased joint pain (12%)
• greater confidence (11%)
• decreased muscle pain (8%)
• improved strength (7%)
• better sleep (6%)
• increased motivations and more energy (5%)

A large number of respondents have reported increased levels of activity, increased and prolonged mobility and increased confidence in their mobility levels, directly as a result of attending and participating in the GATE project exercise classes.

Also, a large number of respondents have reported that attending the classes has improved their sense of wellbeing, improved their social lives and helped combat feelings of isolation and loneliness. This anecdotal reporting of improved wellbeing and by default, improved mental health, cannot be underestimated and is extremely valuable information for both service providers and commissioners.

Video of WW2 Event at Chorlton Good Neighbours

Video of WW2 Event at Chorlton Good Neighbours, Feb 7th 2013

A video of the World War 2 Event at Chorlton Good Neighbours, celebrating 4 local WW2 veterans. The video show the build up to the event and the presentations to the two arctic convoy veterans, Bob Cowan & John Mackay, In addition,  Mickie Mitchell the petrol lorry driver and Alan Wood the fighter pilot, were also honoured at this event

Full versions of the videos shown at the event can be viewed online at:

Alan Wood: Fighter Pilot with coastal command, Banff Strike wing

Mickie Mitchell: She served in the army and then the Fire Service in Manchester during the blitz

John Mackay is another Arctic Convoy veteran who lives in Chorlton. Here is a video where he talks about his experiences on HMS Keppel in the Arctic Convoys

Bob Cowan: the World War Two Arctic Convoys and the Chorlton Good Neighbours campaign to get the British Government to allow veterans like Bob to received the medal of Ushakov from the Russian Government

Photos of WW2 Veterans Event, Feb 7th 2013

Photogallery of the event celebrating our Word War Two veterans  held on Feb 7th 2013 at Chorlton Good Neighbours.

Thanks to Carolyn O'Hanlon for the photos

Sunday Tea with the Leetones

Sunday Tea with the Leetones

After Christmas it was back to normal for the Good Neighbour's Sunday Teas which take place the first Sunday of each month. At this tea, members were entertained by the Tony and Lisa of the Lee Tones  who sang such songs as Mary Wells's  "My Guy", Connie Francis's  "Who's Sorry Now", Carole Kings's  "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" and Chuck Berry's "Johnny B Goode" which still sounds as fresh today as when it came out 55 years ago

Helen also talks to Charlene a new volunteer who gives her impression of a first visit to our Sunday Tea event

Art Exhibition at Chorlton Library

Chorlton Good Neighbours has an exhibition of the art work produced by its members who attend the art class on Thursday mornings. Here are Pauline and Margaret in front of the exhibition at Chorlton Library which runs until the end of February



The art work in place on the noticeboard in the foyer of Chorlton Library


Margaret Banks who runs the Art Class is here discussing with Pauline Robinson the best way of exhibiting the art work




On the other noticeboard in the foyer of the library we have also got information about the older men's group, tincluding the gardening club and the snooker and social afternoons. Also posters about our History Group which meets at 1.30pm on the first Thursday of each month

New Year's Lunch

Les Jones singing at the New Year's Party held on Tues Jan 8th 2013. Les stepped into the breach when the entertainers who had been booked, called off at the last minute as one of their number was taken to hospital.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all our supporters. We are having a New Year's lunch on Tuesday 8th January, midday for some of our older members who have spent the majority of Christmas on their own.

A couple of requests to help us out:

1. Has anybody got any Christmas crackers (unused!) that they can spare for the lunch
   


2. If you have any unwanted Christmas presents and wish to recycle them please could you bring them into the office and if they are chocolates, the office staff will enjoy them very much! But seriously, any unused gifts will be used as raffle prizes at the New Year's lunch

With best wishes to you all,

Helen

Good Neighbours Christmas Party

Chorlton Good Neighbours Christmas Party was held on Sunday 2nd December. Despite the frosty weather there was a full turnout. Everyone enjoyed the christmas meal, games, bingo, raffle and music from entertainer Ken Ford.