Liz Magennis has planned the following meetings:-

Poetry of the Great War (1 )

Thursday 17th October 2013; 11.00am-1.00pm: Coming up to the centenary of the beginning of the Great War we will explore some lesser known as well as well known poets and their stories. This will be an informative foray into each but with a lightness of touch to give an idea as to why such richness & breadth of writing occurred at this time.

Followed by a showing of Joyeux Noel, at 2.30pm – 4.15pm; a film giving a fictional account of the Christmas truce of 1914, but which is based on true events. NB in English, French & German, so quite a number of subtitles

Poetry of the Great War ( 2 )

Wednesday 6th November 2013; 11.00am-1.00pm: A further look at poems & poets of the Great War; the 2 workshops, though linked, can be taken separately. (see above)*

Followed by a showing of A Very Long Engagement, at 2.15pm – 4.30pm; a French film giving a fictional but touching account of a young girl and the man she loves who are caught up in the war. Slightly quirky but moving; starring Audrey Tatou of Amelie fame.

NB in French, so subtitled

Venue : 46 The Roystons, Berrylands, KT5 8HH to which the K2 bus & trains are convenient to Berrylands stop; there is also ample street parking in the area. Light lunch offered, small donation appreciated, or bring your own if preferred, if you choose to stay for both events.

Please send completed application form(s) and stamped addressed envelope if you do not supply email address. to: Liz Magennis, 46 The Roystons, Surbiton, KT5 8HH

Enquiries: Email: gillyvor@hotmail.com or phone: Liz Magennis on 8241 5513

Friday 22^nd November 2013

Tutor: John Hursey    Facilitators: Gill Pitt, Alison Gaitonde.

 The venue for this workshop has altered as the Open University cannot now host.  New venue: UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, WOODMANSTERNE LANE, BANSTEAD SM7 3EX. Website: www.bansteadurc.org.uk for directions.

 This South East Forum U3A workshop is for present and potential group leaders of music groups, and aims to explore and extend their experiences.  It is for those who would like to consider leading a music group – and for those who already do and would like some fresh ideas. John Hursey has been a music tutor at Canterbury Christ church University for 25 years.  

   9.30    Registration.

 10.00   Welcome (Alison).

10.05   Introductions (Gill).

10.15   Music workshop (John): Everybody has a heart that beats, a voice that pitches, and a memory that connects, so everyone has the potential to enjoy music without needing to read notation or play an instrument.

11.15 COFFEE/TEA

11.30   The sort of course I would like to lead; the sort of course I would like to attend (John)

12.45 LUNCH (BRING YOUR OWN)

13.45    Music workshop: simple ways of exploring the craft without technical knowledge.

14.15    Listening to music – why the process has been described as the “medicine of the mind” (John).

15.15   Evaluation of the day

16.00 CLOSE

Refreshments: tea and coffee (20p) available throughout the day. BRING YOUR OWN LUNCH. Cost of workshop £3 payable on the day.

Detach the form below and send to: Alison Gaitonde, 7 Ashurst Road, Tadworth, Surrey KT20 5ET ( 01737 812646 or alisonmgaitonde@gmail.com. If unavailable, phone or email to Gill Pitt, 01293 528943 gmpitt34@gmail.com

U3A Music Groups Workshop         Friday 22 November 2013

Detach this part and send. Bookings on first come first served basis (please print).  £3 payable on the day.

First name………………………Surname………………………………………….U3A…………….

Address  …………………………………………………………………………………………………

Post Code ………………….  E mail address ………………….………….

Tel: …………………………………..

 TO GET  A PRINT OUT OF THE APPLICATION FORM  CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

U3A workshop 2013 Nov

The Government and other supporting groups, under the “Full of Life” banner, have made UK Older People’s Day the focus of a wide programme of activity, celebrating later life. Numerous organisations are working together to coordinate a national programme of activities and events leading up to and around 1 October.Building effective partnerships is vital to our work – enabling us to celebrate the achievements and contributions that older people make to our society and to the economy. Through this we hope to start to tackle negative attitudes and outdated stereotypes.

Our partners are committed to make Older People’s Day a success and organisations have made pledges for their involvement in UK Older People’s Day.  Click below for any more information.

http://olderpeoplesday.co.uk/our-partners/

Any ideas on how Kingston U3A might contribute???     Contact us at  kingstonu3a@gmail.com

Volunteers sought for participation in a Research Study Measuring white cell survival in vivo using heavy water labelling

 We are looking for volunteers to help us with a research study investigating how the body uses white cells to defend against infections

 What does it involve?

This study involves three things:

• A screening visit where we ask some questions and take a blood samples
• Drinking some “labelled” water which enables us to trace new white cells when they are made. You can do this at home. It is tasteless and harmless.
•  A series of blood tests over a four month period.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for people who are at least 60 years old and in good general health

Are there any benefits?

This is not a treatment – it is an investigation – but it will help us understand the immune system better. It is not commercially funded and does not involve any drug administration.

We make a payment of £20 for the screening visit and £150 to cover your time and expenses if you take part in the whole study.

Interested in helping?    Who do I contact?

For more information, contact me:

Raya Ahmed

St George’s, University of London

Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE

Tel: 0208 725 5646

Email: rahmed@sgul.ac.uk

OR
Derek Macallan

Professor of Infectious Diseases and Medicine

St George’s, University of London,

Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE

Tel: 0208 725 0283; Fax: 0208 725 3487

Email: macallan@sgul.ac.uk

This study is funded by the Medical Research Council and has been approved by the National Research Ethics Committee London (Chelsea).

The   Surbiton Escalator Choir  looking very similar to the “Singing for Fun”  group became a flash mob in the Bentalls Centre in Kingston recently.  They toured the escalators and provided an interesting change to the average Sunday  shopping experience!   Click on Read More and then on this web link to see for yourself      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqwL1Dxv3S4

I am a PhD student at the Department of Psychology of the University of Roehampton and in my PhD project I am investigating memory for emotional content in aging. For this research project I am currently recruiting healthy older participants between the age of 60 and 80 who are English native speakers and who are interested in taking part in psychological research studies.

The studies are taking place at the Psychology Department of the University of Roehampton in the south-west of London. A study usually takes 1 to 1.5 hours and involves a short computer task, questionnaires and short psychological tests. No study is conducted without ethical approval of the Ethics Committee of the University of Roehampton and the anonymity of all participants will be ensured.

I hope that some of your U3A members might be interested in this research and I would like to ask you if it might be possible to include a short advertisement for my research project in your upcoming newsletter. It is roughly half a page and includes the information given above and a few additional details. I will be more than happy to provide you with more information about my research. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.

Natalie Berger, bergern1@roehampton.ac.uk.

We are currently casting for a new channel 4 television series which will be presented by Mary Portas and we are looking for retired, senior citizens to take part and get involved in exciting new projects around the community, and share their experiences and skills.

We want to bring together a group of talented retired people who can use their skills for the benefit of their community, who live in and around London, and who perhaps are itching to get involved in a new project and meet new people.

From Catering to Gardening, DIY to Hairdressing, it doesn’t matter what people have done for a living they can all be a part of ‘The Agency’.

It is very clear that the U3A is a great place to pass on this message, and so we would be grateful if this information and our attached leaflet (with more details and information on how to contact us) could be circulated amongst your members at the Kingston society? Do you have a mailing list it could be sent to? Or a Newsletter? Or simply are able to call and spread the word in some way? Even if there is just one member of your committee who you think might be interested, it would be great to get this message to them in someway. We are working under fairly tight time constraints, so the sooner the better really!

We are really keen to hear from all sorts of senior citizens with a variety experiences, skills and stories.

Hopefully this is something you can help us with. If you have any questions or queries please feel free to get in touch, I’d be happy to explain this further.

ROSIE KNOTT | JUNIOR RESEARCHER

Plum Pictures, 33 Oval Rd, Camden, London NW1 7EA

Direct Line: 020 7184 6775

www.plumpictures.co.uk

Meeting held at the Friends’ Meeting House in Euston Road, London on the 10^th of May 2013.

Approx 120 members from the various London U3As attended. Esther Rantzen spoke/explained for about an hour, then continued more informally in a chat over coffee.

Her idea – The Silver Line  – is a new, confidential and free helpline for older people open 24 hours a day every day of the year. The mission is to provide advice, information and friendship to isolated and vulnerable older people. It is not meant to replicate or compete with the work of  already existing services but to refer older people facing loneliness and isolation to groups and organizations active in their community as well as providing a unique telephone befriending service, staffed by trained volunteers. She has invited  members of the U3A in the first place to spread the word but also because she thinks the U3A already does excellent work for the retired generation, She invited suggestions for further improvement of the plan  and hopes that some members will volunteer to become telephone friends.

Silver Line friends will work in pairs for safeguarding and will make booked weekly calls to those requesting their friendship service. They are also planning conference calls with groups linked by shared interests and facilitated by a Silver Line volunteer.

The first pilot was launched in December 2012 in Manchester and the North West. So far they have already received 2000 calls with around 350 people requesting regular weekly calls form Silver Line friends. There have been some 20 transfers or referrals to Action on Elder Abuse or Social Services for safeguarding. They have extended the duration of the pilot and its area of operation to the North East with a regional launch in Newcastle in June. The National Launch is planned for November  with wide media coverage. They hope to be available to every older person  in the U.K. –who needs them – in time for Christmas 2013. At present the free helpline is 0800 328 888 (too many 8s) so they are thinking  of changing it to 0800 708090.

The Silver Line is based at Minerva House, 42, Wigmore Street W1U 2RY, generously donated by Minerva Plc. Any offers of  support can be sent to this address.

Esther Rantzen CBE is the chairman.

The Board of Trustees includes:

Deputy Chairman – Colin Wagman FCA

Jane Ashcroft, The Anchor Trust

Chris Belcher, Slicitors for the Elderly

Paul Burstow MP

Lady Susan Chinn CBE

Gary Fitzgerald, Action on Elder Abuse

Professor Patrick Geoghegan OBE

Dr. Alex McMinn MBE, U3A

Su Sayer CBE, United Response

The BFI are holding a special showing of ‘No Room at the Inn” free UK 1948. Dir.Daniel Birt. Mon 29 Apr 14:00 nfT1 Young WW2 evacuees struggle in the face of adult abuse and complicity.

For other Free film viewings please click on the link below

BFI Seniors Leaflet

Look and book!

The outings walks and holidays included are almost always very well received, so remember to book early to ensure your place.  For more information, pictures, web links and the booking forms go to the EVENTS tab  on the toolbar above and  click on Away Days.

Walks Visits – Coach trips – Holidays Spring 2013

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Are you healthy and aged over 60? We are seeking volunteers to take part in a study investigating the effect of age on balance control.

We are looking for healthy adults with 60+ yrs without known neurological disease including seizures, migraine or fainting; uncorrected visual impairment or joint replacement.

The purpose of the study is to know the role of vision and attentional demands in balance control.

Participants will be measured balance before and after standing on a vibrating platform or with and without noise background.

We will reimburse your travel expense to King’s College London.

The study will be conducted at Shepherd House, Guy’s Campus near London Bridge station, for about 1.5 hours.

Ageing Research Information

There is a small but growing collection of Kingston U3A archival material.  This material has now been deposited at the Kingston Local History Room and may be consulted by anyone who is interested, during the hours that it is open to the public, on production of a valid Kingston U3A membership card. Please click on the link to find out more information about the History Room.                                                 

http://www.kingston.gov.uk/leisure/museums/local_history_and_archives.htm

Current Archive Collection – Listing

U3A archive

Please email either Paul Morrell or Jacqui Humphreys for more information or if you think you have any suitable material to add to the collection.

Morrello1@hotmail.co.uk

jjhumphreys@blueyonder.co.uk

For more information or to request an application form please email Sue Leigh at smleigh@hotmail.co.uk . Applications close 16^th November 2012.

Find out about two other  two other Shared learning Projects which will also commence in Jan 2013

1. The History of Science in London in conjunction with the Brish library

2.Exploring Art and Artists through the Adam International Review A Shared Learning Project with Kings College London Archives