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.

Chorlton Good Neighbours User survey

Chorlton Good Neighbours (CGN)  is a neighbourhood care group covering the Chorlton, Chorlton Park and Whalley Range areas of South Manchester. It was established in 1967 by local people and has evolved to become a well-established charity offering a range of services to local older people. It currently has over 250 users and 70 volunteers.This report analyses a survey of 76 of its users carried out by CGN care group in the 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 important to many people who use its services, Chorlton Good Neighbours also contributes considerably to their long term mental and physical wellbeing.  The findings illustrate that CGN:

·         Assists users in maintaining their independence;

·         Helps to reduce their social exclusion, depression and isolation;

·         Improves users physical and mental health ;

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

·         Helps users to feel safe and secure in their community

·         Reduces the adverse impact of long-term conditions through health related activities and empower people to manage their own health

·         Provides opportunities for users  to participate and make a positive contribution to the community and retain their independence

         Percentage of Manchester residents who agree that their local area is 
“a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together"

Source: Manchester City Council  2006/07 Best Value Survey

Whilst it would be unrealistic to attribute feelings of cohesion and neighbourliness in Chorlton and Whalley Range just to the impact of CGN or even the role of older people generally (economic factors must play a significant role), it is interesting that Chorlton, Chorlton Park and Whalley Range came top of all the wards in Manchester in “getting on well together”. They are also at the top or close to the top in surveys of volunteering and attachment 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.