This past Monday saw Age UK London work alongside London Trading Standards to host a Scams Awareness Workshop for local residents and businesspeople. Unfortunately we heard a number of very worrying statistics with huge ramifications for older people in London.
Tackling Loneliness in London
As our population ages, we must ensure older people can thrive in our city. Too many older Londoners get lost in the crowd and are unable to make the most of later life. Yesterday I went to a Techy Tea Party, hosted by Age UK London at the HQ of Amazon Audible. It was part of #happytochat, a new campaign from the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness. The party reminded me of how important both personal and virtual connections can be for older people. It was great to know the older people there were being given new skills to help them […]
Is Table Tennis the Future of Alzheimer’s Therapy?
With the numbers of those affected by Alzheimer’s continuing to rise (with over 1 million people in the UK expected to be affected by 2025) and the cost of treating the disease mounting (over £26 billion annually in the UK currently), now is the time for action!
Outside of the box research is key to driving advances in alternative methods of treatment and developing low cost drug free options to prevent the disease. Picking up this BATon is the BAT Foundation – a national charity investigating the benefits table tennis can have physically, mentally, and emotionally on those living with Alzheimer’s.
Ageing and Film #7 – Esio Trot
It’s always difficult to know where you stand with Roald Dahl. Whenever you pick up a book or put on a film that the great storyteller has written, it’s often hard to predict what comes next. Will it feature the heart-warming resilience of Matilda? Perhaps we’ll delve into a mysterious adventure akin to The BFG? Or maybe the bad-taste debauchery of My Uncle Oswald will surface? Whatever happens, it’s certainly very hard to second guess the mind of Mr Dahl.
Let’s see what Esio Trot has to offer…
“Barley, Bombs and Bagels” by Myrtle Russell
In 2017, at the age of 91, Myrtle Russell’s book Barley, Bombs and Bagels was published by Chaville Press. Myrtle, a client with Age UK Barnet, received computer lessons from seventeen-year-old voluntary befriender Noah, which enabled her to write the book. As a memoir of a former land girl during World War Two, Barley, Bombs and Bagels, gives a key insight into life in London during the wartime.
We’re lucky enough to have the chance to hear from three people who were involved in the production of Barley, Bombs and Bagels: Keith Martin, founder of Chaville Press; Sian Jones, Befriending Manager at Age UK Barnet; and Myrtle Russell’s daughter Sheila Gewolb, whose thoughts act as the book’s foreword.
What Would Help Older Private Tenants?
We’re just over halfway through Age UK London’s project to raise awareness and find solutions for older private tenants in London. We’ve heard a lot from older people about the conditions they live in and their concerns for the future. This research has led us to ask a series of questions: What are the main areas of concern for older private tenants? What changes could be achievable and would help these older renters? What can be done in London, and what would need national legislation?
Roundelay Review
“Sex at 70? Falling in love at 65? Coming out at 62?” – Read our review of Roundelay at the Southwark Playhouse here.
How can we Really Help Older People?
When I first came into the charity sector, I had so many questions. How do you create change in society? How do you actually help older people? How am I actually going to manage to get out of bed every morning to tackle my first 9 – 5 job?!
Thankfully the latter was easily solved simply by setting two alarms to get me out of bed in the morning and, more importantly, ensuring I had enough “desk snacks” to get me through the day.
The other two questions however, were a bit more difficult to answer…
Lost Without Words Review
Imagine older actors in their 70s and 80s, actors who have spent their lives being other people, bringing life to other people’s words. Imagine they were on stage with nothing but themselves and no words but their own. No script, no map, a different show every night, all they have is a lifetime of theatre to help them find their way.
This is the central theme of Lost Without Words, which we were lucky enough to be invited to watch at the National Theatre last week. Here’s our review of the show…
Transport for All – Making London More Accessible
London is one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Yet many transport services remain out of bounds for its older and disabled citizens. Physical barriers like flights of stairs, gaps and obstacles, combined with the way transport services are run, prevent many of us from getting out and about and living our lives. Transport for All (TfA) is an organisation of older and disabled people who are dedicated to changing this.
Here’s how…