

Thu, 21 Mar
|Heywood
Success with Older Members
Another one of our success focused events. This time exploring some of the great programmes being delivered to older members of the population.
Time & Location
21 Mar 2024, 10:30 – 15:30 GMT
Heywood, W Starkey St, Heywood OL10 4TW, UK
About the event
We're diving deep into the crucial topic of engaging with older members, a demographic that
holds immense potential for our industry. I have a fantastic line-up of speakers who have hands-
on experience in this field and will share invaluable insights on overcoming barriers to
participation, addressing the needs of older members in gyms, and exploring the rising
popularity of walking football.
Why This Event Matters
According to the 2021 census, the population aged 65 and over has increased by over 1.5
million. This demographic shift presents a significant opportunity for us to tap into a growing
market and empower our older members to become our strongest advocates.
Our Agenda
10.30am - 11.00am Arrival, drinks and networking
11.00am - 11.45am Your Trust’s Success Stories - Damien Ellison and Paul Gardner
Damien will tell us about the huge range of activities enjoyed by older members at
Heywood Sports Village and Paul will focus in on how he created the Greater
Manchester Walking Football League.
11.45am - 12.15pm The Greater Manchester Football League in Action!
On the day of our event it’s Over-65’s league day at Heywood so we will all take
a look at the games in action before lunch.
12.15pm - 1.00pm Lunch and Networking
1.00pm - 1.45pm Smile Sessions and More - Lisa Arrandale and Anita Wheeler
Life Leisure provides a vast array of community-based programmes aimed at
empowering members to enjoy their lives and build new friendships. Our event
falls during Life Leisure’s ‘Love Being Active Week’ and Lisa will discuss her
ongoing community work, particularly with older people.
Anita will address barriers to participation, particularly around the
use of technology which can be off-putting for older people.
2.00pm - 2.45pm LiveWire - Leading the Way
Our final, fascinating session will consider the great work being done in
Warrington by Catriona Welch and her colleagues. Catriona has worked for Swim
England in the past and has developed a reputation for being an expert in
exercise for people with dementia. Cat will be joined by Jake McKie, Commercial
Fitness Manager at LiveWire and they will be talking about the success of the
Bewsey and Dallam Hub.
Bewsey and Dallam Hub
Bewsey and Dallam Community Hub was built to support local health inequalities and boost opportunities
to learn to swim, helping residents manage health and wellbeing in a positive way.
Initial challenges included engaging with local health partners, cost of living crisis and staffing challenges.
Despite these ongoing challenges, the development of successful partnerships with community, education
and health organisations has supported the creation of a health focussed Aquatics Programme.
LiveWire offers an accessible and inclusive Aquatics programme, with 50% of the programme including
health focussed sessions whether open public sessions e.g. Aqua Relax, Accessible Swim, structured
sessions e.g. Good Boost, SEND/School swimming lessons or privately led sessions e.g. NHS Physios
Aqua Rehab.
Achieving 40,000 visits in 2022/23, 48% of these were to access the pool. The unique hydrotherapy pool,
and Dementia Friendly design, promotes an environment ideal for the management and rehabilitation of
long term health conditions, with evidence that sessions provide an opportunity to manage health whilst
waiting for wider intervention support.
The Hub is more than a leisure facility to the local community; it supports residents who wouldn’t normally
attend a traditional leisure centre.Â
Success is highlighted by 9 out of 10 users highly recommending it and
offering feedback such as: "After using the Hub I can now carry shopping from the car into the house".
‘I retired early due to ill health. When Bewsey Hub opened, I started doing exercises at the edge of the
pool and I've gradually improved enough to become capable of swimming again.’
3:00pm…Event Close