Category Archives: Age

Age, Diversity, Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month

Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month – November 2014

Jack Petchey 2

Our Inspirational Diversity Champion for November is Jack Petchey.  Jack was born in the East End in 1925. He left school with no qualifications when he was 13 and joined the Navy’s Fleet Air Arm in 1943. Following his discharge from the Navy, he bought his first second hand car (using his £39 Navy discharge gratuity) and started a taxi business. He worked long and hard, overcoming adversity and going on to become a multi-millionaire through his various business ventures, which spanned from motor car dealing and garages to property, travel and investment. At 88 Jack still comes to the office every day, but now it is his philanthropy that interests him most! In 1999 Jack established the Jack Petchey Foundation and his businesses have since given £85 million to support youth projects. Jack seeks to increase young people’s aspirations by rewarding their achievements and encouraging them to take pride in what they have done.  He focuses on the positives rather than highlighting the negatives. Jack believes that if you reward success and help young people feel positive about themselves you can give them the confidence and aspiration to change, overcome adversity and live to their full potential. In 2012, Jack was awarded the CBE in recognition of his services to young people.  He believes that people should think of others and give back to society, no matter how small an act of kindness or generosity, he wants young people to know that in giving, you also receive and the world is a better place for it!   This emphasis on positive affirmation, self-belief, and the willingness to make an effort and to give to others are key to the development of the work of the Jack Petchey Foundation.

Our Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month for July, Laura Mothersole, has recently received a Jack Petchey Award for her work with the Girl Guides and Brownies receiving £200 to spend on activities for them.

To find out more about Jack and his foundation go to the website http://www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk/home

Age, Uncategorised

Rose Wylie Wins John Moores Painting Prize aged 80

Rose Wylie

Artist Rose Wylie has won one of the UK’s most prestigious painting awards at the age of 80.

The £25,000 John Moores Painting Prize, which has been handed out in Liverpool, is Wylie’s latest accolade after being belatedly discovered by the art world.

Her paintings have begun to receive recognition in the past five years.

In 2013, Wylie, from Kent, staged an exhibition at Tate Britain and was described as “a national treasure” by fellow artist Cornelia Parker.

Unlike the Turner Prize, which excludes artists over the age of 50, the John Moores Prize has no upper age limit.  More

Age, Disability, Diversity, Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month

Inspirational Diversity Champion – August 2014

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ellie simmonds

On 30 August it is National Paralympic Day and with this in mind we have chosen Ellie Simmonds as our Inspirational Diversity Champion of the month.

Ellie is a British Paralympian swimmer who has achondroplasia dwarfism. She came to national attention when she competed in the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, winning two gold medals for Great Britain, despite being the youngest member of the team, at the age of 13. In London 2012 she was again selected for the Great Britain squad, where she won another two golds setting a World Record in the 400m freestyle.  In addition, she has won ten gold World Championship titles.

Ellie started swimming at the age of five and competed against able-bodied children at the age of eight. At ten years old, Ellie’s talent was spotted at a disability event and she was entered onto the British Swimming talent programme. She worked her way through to be selected as the youngest member of a senior British Swimming squad for the 2006 IPC World Championships at 12 years and three weeks.

Ellie swims in the S6 disability category.  This category is for swimmers with short stature, amputations of both arms or moderate coordination problems on one side of their body.

In 2008 Ellie was voted BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year and in 2009 she was awarded an MBE becoming the youngest person ever to do so.  In the 2013 New Year Honours she was award an OBE for services to Paralympic Sport.

To find out more about Ellie and her achievements here http://www.elliesimmonds.com/

 

Age, Gender, Uncategorised

Inspirational Diversity Champion for July

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Laura Guide 2

Laura Mothersole – Girlguiding UK

2014 is the centenary year for the Brownies and as July is ‘Make a Difference to Children’ month we have chosen a young local girl who has devoted her spare time to the Girlguiding movement as our Inspirational Diversity Champion

Laura first started as a Brownie and then became a Guide. When she became too old to be a Guide she decided she wanted to stay with Girlguiding and became a Young Leader.  She did this for a number of years until she was old enough to train to be an Adult Leader. She now helps at four different Rainbow, Brownie and Guide units every week and attends activities with them at weekends.

Girlguiding is the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK it gives girls and young women a space where they can be themselves, have fun, build brilliant friendships, gain valuable life skills and make a positive difference to their lives and their communities. It also builds girls’confidence and raises their aspirations and gives them the chance to discover their full potential and encourage them to be a powerful force for good. Without the dedication of volunteers like Laura girls and young women would not be able to experience the many things that Brownies and Guides can give them.   Laura often spends her own annual leave from work attending weekend events with her Guides and Brownies it could be anything, weekend camps, splash days at Danson Lake, Summer Fetes, trips to London or her most recent outing being the Brownie Day at Drusillas Animal Park in East Sussex where 1,500 Brownies and Leaders met to celebrate the Brownie Centenary.

You might think that this is all Laura does and she has no time for anything else. Well you’d be wrong!  Like all busy people Laura seems to find time for other things as well, she loves her music and film and is a huge sports fan, having been a rugby player herself she is often to be found cheering on her beloved London Wasps RFC or watching England Rugby both the men and women!  She recently has given her support to the England Women’s Football team and soon will be attending her first England Men and Women’s hockey internationals.

If you are interested in becoming a leader like Laura, check out the Girlguiding website at https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/home.aspx find out what it’s all about and may be get involved.

Age, Uncategorised

Positive ageing: Research Centre Aims to Set National Agenda

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Helping people to grow older in a happy and healthy way is the subject of a major new research programme at the University of Greenwich.

In response to the challenges posed to society by rapid demographic change, in which the number of older people is increasing far more quickly than other sections of the population, the university is launching its Centre for Positive Ageing.

Researchers will investigate a variety of areas that affect older people – such as pain, falls, dementia and other long-term conditions, housing and access to technology – in order to help individuals live healthier and more fulfilling lives, supported by better health and social care services.  More … http://www2.gre.ac.uk/research/news/articles/a2789-positive-ageing-research-centre-aims-to-set-national-agenda