As we reach the festive season, it is also a time to pause for thought and reflect on the highs, and not-so-highs of the year, the peaks and troughs of 2025. One of the highlights was within this very quarter of the year, National Older People’s Day. Whereby the theme for this year was dignity and connection. LGN has been supporting the current iteration of National Older People’s Day for the last 3 years. This year we went leftfield with our collaborative partners Inspired Taskforce and decided to host the event at St Mary’s church hall. It was a fantastic turnout from noon till late afternoon. Much to the delight of our representors from LGN, volunteer Befriender Sadie, and trustee Rachel.

Connection was also another theme, explored. This presented itself in great abundance with the range of speakers from the NHS, local authorities, and other community interest groups and organisers. We may not have had circus acts from Danielle, or the brass band quartet to bring the house down this year, but the moving narrative from Sadie, capturing why befriending is important to older, and vulnerable people, and illustration the difference it has made in her life and the life of her befriending companion more than made up for the change in entertainers.

Here is a snap of John Saunders, the Chairman of Levenhshulme Good Neighbours in it’s first form in the 90s. It is the funds he left for LGN on his passing that helps us to support the National Older People’s Day events continually. Indeed, we run these events in his honour; indeed he would be proud to see gatherings such as these, which are useful to older people in the M19 and the surrounding areas. The location would be befitting too, since he and the old gang had line dancing sessions at the hall back in the day.

That was then, and the hall now…

Finally, here is a link to the beautiful speech of volunteer Sadie’s befriending journey.

See you next year!