Friday 29 April 2016

Greater Manchester Walking Festival

Greater Manchester Walking Festival runs from 1-31st May and features some of the best walks in the region, all led by experienced and knowledgeable walk leaders. The festival aims to attract a wide audience, including those new to walking or considering it as an exercise to improve health or recuperate from an illness.
 
Most walks are accessible via public transport and walks take place midweek and weekends, mainly in the daytime but with the odd evening walk too.

Find out more.

Saturday 9 April 2016

Our next pre-retirement course in Manchester...

What will you call yourself once you retire?

A new client told me about her friends' name for a person who has retired and not really managed to establish a new identity for themselves in retirement - a 'wasa'.  When asked what they do, they reply 'I was a (insert pre-retirement profession here)'.

Will you be happy to be a 'wasa' once you retire?  Or will you feel compelled to build a new identity for yourself? 

My client, who still has plenty of projects she wants to pursue, both paid and unpaid, thinks that she'll refer to herself as a portfolio worker - defined at
dictionary.com as 'a person employed in a series of eclectic positions or in part-time or short-contract positions'.


Her friends, who coined the term 'wasa', were civil servants, but make a living as artists now that they're retired.  Other people, who still do occasional work for their old company or clients, prefer to be known as consultants and those who are finally free to start up retirement businesses can call themselves entrepreneurs.


So, what about you?  What will you call yourself once you retire?

Friday 8 April 2016

The Royal Exchange Elders’ Company new monthly taster sessions

The Royal Exchange Elders’ Company are starting new monthly taster sessions. Open to anyone over 60, they are practical workshops for those wishing to develop drama skills and knowledge of theatre.

The Elders Company 2015-16 is currently at full capacity however if you'd like to find out more then you can join everyone at Elders Monthly.  If following a taster session, you are interested in becoming a full member of The Elders you will have the opportunity to apply for one of their termly programmes of workshops (subject to available places).

Upcoming sessions:

    Wednesday 27 April, 11am-1pm
    Wednesday 25 May, 11am-1pm
    Wednesday 22 June, 11am-1pm
    Wednesday 27 July, 11am-1pm
    Wednesday 24 August, 11am-1pm

Sessions are proving extremely popular and if you're unable to book a place on Elders Monthly you will be placed on their waiting list.

To book: contact the Box Office on 0161 833 9833.  Tickets for the next Elders Monthly session is released at 10.30am on the previous session.

For further information please contact Andy Barry on 0161 615 6792 or email andy.barry@royalexchange.co.uk.

Thursday 7 April 2016

Together in Song Gospel Singing

Together in Song Gospel Singing is a group aimed particularly at people from the African and Caribbean communities who are living with dementia and who are socially isolated.  The sessions are monthly every Saturday afternoon, 15:00-16:30 at Hibiscus Court, 16 Sedgeborough Road, Moss Side, M16 7HU.

For further information, contact Dorothy Allen on dorothy@togetherdementiasupport.org or Sally Ferris on 07854 335890.

Wednesday 6 April 2016

2016 MICRA annual public lecture - Ageing and frailty: Game changers for our health and care services

MICRA and Manchester Metropolitan University

Speaker: Professor David Oliver, President of the British Geriatrics Society

Rapid population ageing is changing the nature of modern health and care systems for good. Many people remain in good health as they age and we need to continue the push on prevention and wellbeing. However, with increasing age, we are more likely to live with multiple (not single) long-term conditions - many related to age. Dementia and age-related disability are increasingly prevalent as is Frailty. These may be compounded by social vulnerability or reliance on carers. Whether in primary care, acute hospital care, social care, including care homes or community health services, it is these issues that drive most demand and spend. Older people and their carers often use multiple services and see numerous professionals, risking disjointed care. Our training, values and systems haven't fully caught up with this new reality and we need a sea change in our approach to ageing and health.

When: Wednesday, 11 May 2016 from 18:30 to 20:00 (BST)

Where: University Place, Lecture Theatre B - University of Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom

Register via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2016-micra-annual-public-lecture-tickets-23100786073  (Registration closes on 24 April)

Tuesday 5 April 2016

Free six week long wellbeing and resilience course for anyone approaching or in retirement

Building a Healthy Future in Retirement is a free six week long wellbeing and resilience course for anyone approaching or in retirement.  Boost your mood, meet new people and share experiences, improve wellbeing, grow in confidence, make positive future plans, learn to handle worries and fears, and acquire new life skills.

Courses commence on the following dates at a choice of two locations:

Tuesday 19 April 2016, 14:00-16:00, at Kath Locke Centre, 123 Moss Lane East, Hulme, M15 5DD.

Wednesday 20 April, 10:00-12:00, at Northmoor Community Centre, 95-97 Northmoor Road, Levenshulme, M12 5RT.

Please contact Ruth Rosselson on bahf@manchestermind.org or 0161 769 5732.

Monday 4 April 2016

Older people's group creates classical composition

Connections is a creative music project in which older people across Greater Manchester are composing a new piece of music for a dance group in Germany. 

This project came about after members from Manchester Camerata met Barbara Cleff and the Wuppertal Tanztheater at the Long Live Arts conference in Germany.  Both organisations decided to create new music together for the Tanztheater older persons group to use for a new dance, which would then be performed at the European Arts Conference in Brussels in April 2016.

The results of this exciting project will be published soon on the Manchester Camerata website – keep your eyes peeled!

www.manchestercamerata.co.uk/learning