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Enjoying later life

There's so much to do for older people in Salford. Use these pages to help you get the most from life, find out about pensions and benefits and find out how we're working to make life even better.

Education | Fitness | Holidays | Housing | Interests and hobbies | Money | Staying safe | Travel | Work and volunteering

Education
You're never to old to learn and there are plenty of courses to choose from - whether you are refreshing skills or taking up something totally new. Have a look at Life Long Learning and see if there's a course for you.

Fitness
Research shows that older people who exercise reduce the risk of heart problems. Some exercises (such as walking) reduce the risk of osteoporosis (brittle bones) and can reduce the risk of falling.

You can make use of the fantastic Passport to Leisure Plus which, for just a few pounds, gives you access to Fit City sports centres and swimming pools across the city. There are plenty of other opportunities to increase your fitness levels in the city - you could Ask SID, our online information service.

Holidays
If you're 50+, you can get great deals on holidays and not just by traveling out of season! SAGA travel shop has a huge range of holidays to choose from. You can email travelshop@saga.co.uk.

The Salfordian Hotel, in Southport, caters for older Salford residents. The hotel also welcomes less mobile residents and other guests. Special rates are available for group bookings. Phone 0161 925 1233.

Tourism for All offers advice and more for disabled and older holiday makers.

The National Benevolent Fund for the Aged (NBFA) provides free holidays for older people on low incomes who have not had holidays for at least three years. You can phone on 020 7828 0200.

You can also get great insurance rates on your holidays and travel - Age Concern is just one organisation to look at.

Housing
If you're thinking of moving home, we may be able to help with our Housing Choice scheme - we'll help with property searches, advise you about financial help and help with the move.

If you want to stay living where you are but need a bit of help with maintenance - guttering, changing light bulbs etc. contact Helping Hands handyperson scheme.

There plenty of other support too - from home improvement, through equipment to sheltered housing.

Interests and hobbies
If you've got a little spare time, you might want to take up a new hobby - there's all sorts to choose from. You can visit asksid.info - our online directory of activities across the city. We've got over 1000 records and the list is growing all the time.

Money
Are you making the most of your money? Are you claiming all that you are entitled to? Have you forgotten about a pension scheme that you paid into? If you're struggling with debt or trying to work out what benefits you're entitled to, you can contact the Welfare Rights and Debt Advice service. You may also want to consider Independent Financial Advice.

Staying safe
We're working with the Police and other organisations to make Salford an even safer to place to live and work. There are some simple steps that you can take to help stay safe at home and when you're out and about. We have distributed thousands of the Be Smart, Be Safe booklet to the most vulnerable older people in the city. Unfortunately, we have now run out but electronic copies are still available, at the bottom of this page.

Travel
If you're aged 60+, you can now benefit from free off-peak travel on buses across the whole country. You can also get free off-peak travel on the trams and trains in Greater Manchester. You'll need to apply for the new national travel pass.

If you struggle with public transport there are other options to help you get about.

Work and volunteering
Volunteering can be really rewarding and offers more flexibility that paid work. The Volunteer Centre Salford has 300 organisations on its books, looking for people just like you.

• Voluntary work

If you need to brush up or learn new skills, or update your CV, you'll find plenty of help on DirectGov. Since October 2006, age discrimination has been illegal.

Growing Older    IN Salford
We are working with older people in the city to implement a wellbeing strategy. It sets out what older people have told us are the building blocks to improving their lives. We'd love for you to help us.

This page was last updated on 30 October 2008

• Life events
• Housing for older people
• Pensions & Benefits
• Social services
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• Young at Heart