2007 - Ageing Disgracefully

Ageing Disgracefully the Your Voice way

When: August 2007
Where: Weekend event in Birmingham
What: A wide range of experts from different fields talking about how to stay fitter, healthier and happier for longer.
Attended by: 20 delegates

Members from the Your Voice user group got together in Birmingham for the 2007 summer event, Ageing Disgracefully

Twenty people from around the country attended the event organised by Michael Bergin, Lisa Cain and Paul Manning who brought in a variety of speakers to cover medical and well-being topics.

The visitors arrived at the hotel on the Friday evening for dinner and a welcome meeting, where they learned more about the planned programme of events.

The Saturday schedule packed in five talks ranging from A New Revolution in Bowel Management and Healthy Eating through to The Ageing Bladder and Rosemary Batchelor’s Keeping it all Together presentation. Each was followed by a question and answer session.

“We tried to gather a wide range of speakers,” explained organiser and Your Voice chair Lisa Cain. “So hopefully there was something for everyone.”

There were plenty of breaks for coffee and a buffet lunch during the day which concluded with Michael Thompson’s Easy and 1, 2, 3 art demonstration. 

His landscape painting, created using just three colours, was raffled off after the session, with lucky Jeannette Prentice scooping the prize.

Following another three-course meal the delegates were left to their own devices. Some went to the cinema while others enjoyed a drink in the hotel bar.

But there was no time for long lie-ins on the following day. The Sunday programme kicked off at 9.30am with a talk by Maggie Pickard from the Extend organisation about the benefits of exercise. She even encouraged the audience to try out a few simple stretches during her presentation to get their circulation going.

Yvonne Davies from the Birmingham Citizens Advice Bureau followed with a talk about the different benefits available and advised on how to make a claim.

The event ended with a Your Voice information and feedback session with organisers Michael and Lisa, followed by lunch.

Michael, who first became involved with Your Voice in December when he was elected to the YV Committee, said: “Organising an event like this does take a great deal of work, but it was worth it because everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

“Hopefully they all learnt something which will help them in their day to day lives too.

“There was a very positive response to all the speakers which was very encouraging. If just one person says thank you then it is all worthwhile.”

Lisa and Michael were also delighted that the event, which was oversubscribed and attracted six new people who hadn’t attended a Your Voice event before.

What they thought…
 “Overall it was very good”
“The balance of info and breaks was just right.”
“Thanks to all the organisers and speakers”

Click here for more information on the presentations about ageing at the event in Birmingham.