Cheer on our marathon runners this Sunday!

Just to remind you that it is the London Marathon this Sunday 23^rd April. We have 10 runners taking part this year and it would be great if you have some time to come down and show your support. The marathon is always a fun event – so if you can, please join us!

We will be setting up a cheering point on Byward Street near to Tower Hill tube station (Circle / District Line). See links below for map and transport information. The cheer point is near the 23 mile mark and we will expect our runners through from about 12pm – 2pm. There should be someone at the cheer point from 9am to get a good position so feel free to come early to watch the elite runners.

Email harriet.steele@independentage.org.uk if you would like to come along.

A helpful resource: Ireland's National Centre for Protection of Older People

We would like to introduce our readers to an institution dedicated to making sure that older people are safe from violence and abuse: Ireland's National Centre for the Protection of Older People (NCPOP).

The NCPOP is an interdisciplinary research institution, based at University College Dublin. Researchers from medical, nursing, social science and public health backgrounds combine their expertise to understand and combat elder abuse.

We have linked to their website on the useful links of our Independent Age Ireland website: www.independentage.ie/useful_links.

This spring, the NCPOP will be presenting a series of talks about elder abuse, and the details can be found on their website, http://www.ncpop.ie This website is also full of links and resources for people who are concerned about elder abuse in Ireland, but many are of interest to people in the UK and elsewhere.

New book by Independent Age Trustee explains dementia

Dr. Nori Graham, Independent Age Trustee, is an expert in Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and the psychiatry of old age. She has co-written the new book, Understanding Alzheimer's Disease & Other Dementias. The book is a straightforward, plain English guide for people who may have dementia and their families and carers, and it explains these diseases while putting to rest much of the misinformation and myth surrounding them.

You can read a sample chapter or order the book from the Family Doctor UK website.

Place available for Virgin London Marathon, 25 April

We have a last minute golden bond place available for the 2010 Virgin London Marathon on 25 April. If you would like to run for us, we ask runners for a deposit of £100 and to pledge to raise at least £1000 for Independent Age.

To apply for this place, please contact Harriet Steele before 21 January on 020 7605 4288, or email events@independentage.org.uk.

You can find out more about the Virgin London Marathon at their official website:
http://www.virginlondonmarathon.com

Keep Warm, Keep Well

The first big snowstorms of the winter have hit the UK, and the Met Office promises worse to come. Older people are especially vulnerable in this weather: icy pavements can lead to falls and broken hips. Arctic winds and plummeting temperatures can cause frostbite, and cold weather combined with lack of proper heating can exacerbate health conditions.

To help, the government has published a booklet titled 'Keep Warm, Keep Well', full of tips to keep healthy and safe during cold weather. Tips include:

• Have regular hot drinks and at least one hot meal a day - if possible, eating regularly helps to keep energy levels up during winter
• Wear several light layers of warm clothes
• Keep as active as possible
• Remember to wrap up warm if you need to go outside on cold days

You can learn more from their website by clicking here.

photo by bron from www. sxc.hu.

Your holiday messages, keeping spirits bright

Earlier this year, we sent out an appeal on behalf of all of the older people who are lonely over the holidays. Included was a Christmas bauble printed on card with a blank space on the back for people to fill in with their own messages.

Well, you responded. We received baubles in the hundreds, all full of inspiring words of seasonal cheer, and passed them on to people who really appreciate them. At Randell House, one of Independent Age's care homes, some of the residents decorated a tree with them--and one lady even turned a pair into festive earrings!

For the rest of the week, we will be posting some of these messages on twitter. Why not follow us and share these holiday wishes?

Carols for Christmas

The Annual Carol Concert, which took place December 10th, was a great success. Beneficiaries, staff and friends of Independent Age gathered at St. Michael's Church in Chester Square, London, for an evening of Carol singing and readings of the Christmas story, followed by mince pies and wine. Seasonal flowers were provided by the London and Overseas branch of the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (NAFAS), which added to the festive mood.

This year's choral accompaniment was provided by the Tabard Singers, a group who formed at St. Andrews University in the 1970s. They have made two records and appeared on Radio 4 and BBC Local Radio, and performed in venues as diverse as the Purcell Room and the top of

Glastonbury Tor.