Greater Manchester answers Westminster committee's call for evidence on active ageing

By GM Moving, NHS GM, and the GM Public Health Network | 28 August 2025 | TAGS: Active Adults, older adults, active ageing, Health, Mental Health

Our shared commitment across Greater Manchester to healthy ageing has been further underlined with a joint submission to the Health and Care Select Committee in Westminster.

The Parliamentary committee launched an inquiry into the role of physical activity in improving the health and wellbeing of older people with a call for evidence.

NHS GM, GMCA (via GM Ageing Hub), the GM public health network, and GM Moving answered the call with a joint submission reflecting our close, collaborative approach to ensuring everyone can live well.

The group highlighted the opportunities to use physical activity to prevent physical and mental ill-health and help everyone remain healthy into older age.

We shared the opportunities for health services to promote physical activity through schemes like Physical Activity Clinical Champions, Active Practice Charter, and Moving Medicine.

The submission looked at reducing inequalities between older people living in the most and least deprived boroughs as well as the key barriers to physical activity which they face.

We were proud to share the successes of the GM Falls Collaborative, social prescribing in GM, and Prehab4Cancer as examples of us already delivering against the 10-year NHS Plan.

We also advocated for a measurable year on year increase in investment in prevention, aligned to a broad, social model, once consistent meaningful data is available.

And we called for cross-government leadership and accountability that enables collective whole system leadership in place, highlighting the absence of cohesive leadership across government.  

Research shows devolution in GM positively impacted the whole health system with GM Moving supporting wellbeing as a mandatory consideration in future Devolution Deals.

Warren Heppolette, Chief Officer for Strategy, Innovation & Population Health for NHS Greater Manchester, said:

“We are committed to a fundamental shift of attention and resource towards prevention and health creation.

“Helping people to live well in later life requires us to innovate and think more creatively about healthy neighbourhoods and active lives.

“It will challenge us to ensure we bring together contributions across the physical activity and leisure sectors, transport, housing and health partners in ways which make most sense to residents. We have already generated the evidence to give us confidence we can go further.”

Hayley Lever, CEO of GM Moving, said:

“Greater Manchester’s collaborative work on active, healthy ageing is well established and maturing all the time.

“Our whole system approach to active ageing, supported by Sport England back in 2018, was the first area to test and learn about a more systemic approach to tackling inactivity and intersectional inequalities.

“The learning from GM Moving has helped to shape our Ageing in Place Pathfinder, which in turn is helping to shape the Live Well movement.

“Testing, innovating and adapting based on learning is vital to this work, and the process of bringing this evidence together has helped us to reflect and refocus again for the next part of our healthy ageing journey.  We have much more to do and everyone has a role to play.”

Paul McGarry, Head of GM Ageing Hub at the GMCA, said:

“This joint submission reflects the strength of our partnerships and the shared ambition across Greater Manchester (GM) to support people to age well.

“We know that physical activity is a powerful tool not just for preventing ill health, but for enabling older people to live fulfilling, independent lives.

“Through the work of the GM Ageing Hub and the GM Live Well programme, we’re embedding active ageing into our neighbourhoods, services, and strategies, building a future where everyone can benefit from healthier, more connected later years.

“The evidence we’ve presented shows what’s possible when we work together, and we remain committed to supporting older people across GM to live well in later life.”