Cold Weather Conversations: A toolkit for organisations supporting older people this winter

This toolkit, developed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Independent Age, in consultation with older people across Greater Manchester, is designed to help organisations communicate cold weather risks and support older adults’ health and wellbeing during winter.

Each year, thousands of older adults in the UK face preventable health risks due to cold weather, with excess winter deaths remaining a significant concern. The toolkit provides practical guidance for organisations to strengthen winter preparedness and deliver clear, effective messages to those most at risk.

The toolkit includes information on planning ahead, effective communication, direct support and ready-to-use messaging, via:

• Guidance on signing up for the Government’s Weather-Health Alerting system and using action cards to plan responses at different alert levels.
• Tips for briefing staff and volunteers, using trusted channels like GPs, community centres, and local newsletters, and promoting warm spaces.
• Encouragement for frontline staff to attend free Winterwise training, distribute the Winterwise guide, and check in with individuals most likely to be impacted by extreme cold, especially those who are isolated, have health conditions, or face digital/language barriers.
• Suggested short and long text messages for communicating with older people about staying warm, accessing benefits, and finding community support.