AGE UK BARNET

Huge thanks to Groundwork, GreenDoctor and Cadent Foundation for donating winter warm packs to give to our clients who are struggling the most. Each bag is packed with warming goodies such as blankets, gloves and flasks hopefully making cold days ahead a little bit easier. #warm #winterwarm #winterwarmers #cold #givingback #community

Our second disco for over 55s was a huge success. Everyone loved this rare chance to hit the dance floor and one woman said her anxieties just floated away! Thanks to Jeya Keerthi, business development manager of Candlewood House, for donating fresh sandwiches, fruit cake and mince pies crafted by their amazing chef and kitchen team #disco #agewithoutlimits #givingback

Brilliant talks at today’s Living Well event - Professor Catherine Loveday on the importance of curating and writing down our memories, Sohini Boron from HomeInstead Barnet on falls prevention, Sara Din from the Barnet Memory Clinic on new risk factors for dementia and Candice Bryan from Barnet Council with dementia friendly updates. Thanks so much to Safety for work Ltd Limited for donating the air fryer raffle prize and refreshments. Also, a big cheer for our volunteers Tom Steele, Bard Moe and Valerio Uccellani from Worldpay who helped make the morning go so smoothly. 3 key takeaways from the event * The 2 most effective ways of reducing your risk of dementia are getting a hearing aid if you have even mild hearing loss and addressing high cholesterol. These will reduce your risk by 7%. * The Desert Island Disc challenge can help you curate your memories. Think of 10 songs that are important to you or objects that you would take to a desert island and write down why they are important and the memories that come with it. * There are 30 dementia-friendly venues around Barnet including artsdepot and Chipping Barnet library. #memory #dementia #communityevents

Vallectric Limited were thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with AGE UK BARNET, installing hand railings that will make a real difference to their service users' safety and independence. Supporting such an incredible charity, which does so much for older people within the Barnet community, has been an absolute privilege. We’re proud to play a part in creating safer, more accessible spaces for those who need it most. #CommunitySupport #AgeUK #MakingADifference #AccessibilityMatters #TeamWork

Huge thanks to Vallectric Limited for their generosity in donating and installing railings along the paths in our Hendon garden! The outside area is now safer and more accessible, making it so much easier for our dementia day club clients and clients from Barnet Mencap to get out and enjoy nature. 🌳 Mencap

A fantastic Men's Health event to mark International Men's Day at the Watling Community Centre in Burnt Oak. Our inspiring speakers spoke about how hard it is for a lot of men to open up and the mental health struggles this can cause, but there was plenty of useful advice and we heard about incredible local groups that are tackling men's mental health head on. Alex from Mind in Barnet shared science-backed strategies for good mental wellbeing: * Connect with other people * Stay active * Be more aware of the world around you * Keep challenging yourself and learning new things * Give back in any way you can #ANDYSMANCLUB John shared how this peer-to-peer group creates a safe space for men to talk. 'We even have someone waiting outside to encourage those who find it hard to walk through the door. That first step is tough, but it’s life-changing,' says John. Meets: Mondays, 7pm at the Meritage Centre, Hendon. Email info@anysmanclub.co.uk Men Walking and Talking - Barnet Scott spoke about this supportive walking group where men can chat about anything—from football to personal struggles. 'One member is a local historian, and his stories of Barnet bring our walks to life. Most of us have had mental health issues and people have said this has saved their lives,' says Scott. Meets: Wednesdays, 7pm at the war memorial by St. John the Baptist Church, Chipping Barnet. Email: menwalkingandtalking@outlook.com Barnet Walking Football Shaun shared how this over-50s walking football group is more than just a game—it’s a social hub. 'Everyone meets in the cafe afterwards and many other community ventures and activities have sprung from walking football including gardening groups, a curry club and meet-ups in the pub,' says Shaun. For some, though it is about the football. 'We have one man who's 89 and when he scores a goal, he's 18 again in his eyes!' Meets: at The Hive London, Camrose Avenue, London HA8 6AG. For more info email info@thebeesfootball.com Thanks also to talks by Hannah from NorthLondon Hospice and Angelo from Barnet Copthall Leisure Centre, who treated us to some challenging seated exercise. Resources from today's event will be available on our website soon. Barnet Council #InternationalMensDay #MentalHealth

Another brilliant talk last night from neuropsychologist Professor Catherine Loveday, setting the record straight on some common brain myths! Lots of fantastic science to challenge some widely held beliefs... in a nutshell... 1)    Many people think we use only 10% of our brains – in fact we use most of our brain all day, even when we’re daydreaming. 2)    Our brains are amazing and always busy but they are also malleable and continue to grow throughout life. 3)    People aren’t left or right brained – both sides of the brain work together. So if you’re creative, for instance, it’s wrong to say the left side of the brain is more dominant. 4)    Male and female brains are not that different – differences are more to do with the way we are brought up. Only 8% of people have a typical ‘male’ or ‘female’ brain. 5)    No one has a photographic memory but we can all develop better memories through practice 6)    A bang on the head can’t cause someone to forget who they are. Memory can be affected in various ways but they won’t forget who they are. Memories of our identity are very well protected. 7)    Listening to Mozart may not make us more intelligent but music often makes us happier and more connected. Catherine Loveday is currently talking about the connection between music and the brain on Radio 3 Unwind, hosted by Dr Sian Williams 8)    Getting older might mean we’re not so good at multitasking or learning a new language and it might mean we take longer to recall a word. However, some things get better with age – we know more, we have a better vocabulary, we are better at problem solving and conflict resolution and we’re altogether wiser. Professor Catherine Loveday will be talking at our next Wellbeing event on 4 December 2024 (10am-12.30pm) at the Friends Meeting House, 55 Leicester Road, New Barnet EN5 5EL. You can register for the event here: https://lnkd.in/enrXPb7s #psychology #brainmyths #memory #communitytalks

After last night's positive annual general meeting, we want to thank staff, our 450 volunteers, including our trustees, local organisations, our main funders and anyone who has donated or fundraised for us. With all your help we have reached 35% more Barnet residents this year - whether it's through our social clubs and activities or helping with housing or benefits advice, befriending, shopping, dementia support or assistance with computers. Our aim is to be the go-to organisation for over 55s in Barnet, be the ones individuals and families in the borough trust to support them through their challenges and to embrace later life. Lorraine Barnet Helen Newman Barnet Council

It's Trustees Week and we thank our trustees for their time, commitment and expertise. Not only do they help to steer us forward to meet the needs of Barnet's older population, they have helped organise some fantastic fundraisers, shared vital skills with clients, volunteers and Pigeon Post readers and also given some brilliant community talks! Thank you Lorraine Barnet, Sohini Boron, Gilian Jordan, John Tacchi, Ruth Newrick, Jean Hanson, Julian Tomlin plus our expert adviser Catherine Loveday #TrusteesWeek #barnet

Most of the activities we put on are for residents over 55 around the borough who want to get out, pick up new skills and meet people. But our Befriending Service is for older adults who struggle to get out and have very few opportunities to meet people. This Befriending Week we celebrate our lovely clients and the amazing volunteers we match them with. We also asked our clients what their weekly visits or phone calls meant to them and it’s heartwarming to hear what an impact these connections are making. Here we share just of a few of the lovely comments we received! Befriending Networks Age UK Barnet Council #BefriendingWeek #befriending