GMFRS staff support older people across Greater Manchester

Paul Sumner and Steve Sheridan

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) has been busy engaging with older members of the community across the county celebrating Older People’s Day 2015.

To mark the occasion, one elderly resident in each borough will receive a hamper of goodies as a special gift from GMFRS staff who have been donating food and other items in the run up to Thursday 1 October.

A number of events took place leading up to and during Older People’s Day allowing staff from across GMFRS to reach out to the more vulnerable people in Greater Manchester to help keep them safe and well.

The range of activities that took place included a Full of Life event at Wigan Youth Zone on Tuesday 29 September, a coffee and bingo morning at Hollins Community Fire Station and an event at Levenshulme’s St Mary's Parish Centre on Thursday 1 October.

Chair of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor David Acton, said: “Today is National Older People’s Day and I am urging everyone to check on an elderly neighbour or relative to make sure they are safe and well in their home.

“GMFRS members have attended various events to spread safety advice but you can help us by spending a few minutes with an older person – test their smoke alarm, check for any hazards and ask yourself whether they may need any further support.”

Activity across the boroughs included a partnership event hosted at Buile Hill Park in Salford between GMFRS and Salford Adult Care Services, where staff from both organisations raised awareness of fire safety amongst other topics.

Sue Clarke, Operations Manager for Alzheimer’s Society in Greater Manchester, said: “Alzheimer’s Society is proud to be developing a partnership with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to support our vision for a world without dementia.

“By working together we can increase the awareness of fire safety and the health, social and overall well-being of the 29,561 people living with dementia in Greater Manchester.”

GMFRS’ Head of Fire Prevention, Area Manager Wayne Shields, said: “In addition to the events where our staff have been engaging with hundreds of people boxed hampers, made up from food items donated by GMFRS workers and a handmade scarf made by a Bolton knitting group, will be hand-delivered to an older person in each of the 10 boroughs we cover.

“The 10 people will be identified by those GMFRS staff working closely with members of the community and each will be presented with the goody box that will help keep them warm and well as the colder nights approach.”

Scarves for the hampers, and one for GMFRS’ mascot Cracker, were made by members of the Knit and Natter community group at the UCAN Centre in Halliwell.