Valuing Older People (VOP)

'Including older people is part of valuing them.' Margaret Parkes, VOP Board.

The Valuing Older People (VOP) initiative, launched in the summer of 2003, was set up to improve the quality of life of Manchester's older residents. The aim is to do this through developing more effective partnerships and by promoting joint working but, most importantly, by ensuring that the programme of work is driven by Manchester's older residents and is based on what is important to them. For this reason, they have developed a range of ways that older Mancunians can get involved: VOP structure diagram.

Task Groups

There are a number of working groups that people can get involved with. In particular, the work of the Positive Images of Ageing team and the Small Grants panel are driven by older Mancunians. Other time-limited task groups are convened as necessary and have included older people in mapping and information, research into Manchester's ethnic elders, transport, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, economic life and intergenerational working to name a few. It is not necessary to be a member of the Board or the Forum to sit on a task group. If there is an area of work that you are particularly interested in, you can contact the team to see what opportunities are currently available.