Welcome to your March Newsletter It's nearly Spring! Here at Age UK Islington, we've been encouraged to see signs of Spring in the local parks! If you fancy venturing out to somewhere new, another Park Cuppa will be taking place at the Ecology Centre in Gillespie Park, once a month. The first one will be on Tuesday 14 March, 10.30am-12pm and they'll be discussing 'Spring'. To see the poster, click here. No need to book!
International Women's Day Concert We're delighted to be joined by Connaught Opera for a special concert on Friday 10 March, 2-4pm at the Jean Stokes Community Centre. Titled "Glamorous Night", they will be performing a medley of songs portraying strong, glamorous women through the ages. Find out how to book your free place and read our interview with Maria from Connaught Opera here.
Sharing inspiration to Eat Well!
Linking with National Nutrition Month which takes place in March each year, we'd like to share more inspiration to eat well with a recipe from Islington resident Susan Clarke. The recipe has a West Indian flavour. Susan's family are from Barbados and she was married to a Jamaican Chef. For details, how to share your recipes and details of community lunches in Islington, click here.
Energy debt If you're in debt with your energy supplier, there is help that is available that you can apply for. You can check what your supplier offers and what the eligibility criteria are in this Money Saving Expert article. For example, if you have a prepayment meter and you're in debt with British Gas, you can apply for help with this debt (before end of March) from the British Gas Energy Trust Fund. If you're struggling with debts, you might also find this Debt Help & Advice from Age UK helpful.
OUR GET TOGETHERS & SUPPORT GROUPS Cost of Living Day Event, Thurs 30 March, 1-3.30pm Holloway Neighbourhood Group, Mayton Street, N7 With the ongoing Cost of Living crisis, you might be interested in attending the next Cost of Living Day event on Thursday 30 March, 1-3.30pm at Holloway Neighbourhood Group (near Nags Head / Morrisons, N7) that we're organising with Help on Your Doorstep and Octopus Community Network. Drop-in for a chat with members of the Age UK Islington team and other community partners! There's no need to book!
Don't forget that you can also see Age UK Islington at The Arc Centre on Tuesdays and at Mildmay Community Centre on Fridays - see more details here. Let's Talk Peer Event, Wed 22 March, 10.30am-1.30pm Guest Speakers: Islington Council Housing Team LIFT Islington, 45 White Lion Street, N1 9PW or Zoom Let's Talk Peer Event provides the opportunity to talk about anything and everything that's to do with life in Islington. In this month's session we're going to hear from London Borough of Islington's housing team about the Housing Register, Bidding, Mutual Exchange, and Repairs Service. Following the presentation there will be the opportunity to ask questions individually and as a group. Painting Appreciation: Saatchi Gallery Guest Speaker Tuesday 7 March, 11am - 12noon, Online (Zoom) Due to popular demand, Florence Goodhand-Tait from Saatchi Gallery is coming back as guest speaker for our Painting Appreciation session on 7 March. Florence will be providing an insight into their current exhibition 'Beyond The Streets', the most comprehensive graffiti and street art exhibition to ever open in the UK. Discover original art, rare ephemera (e.g. tickets, programmes), photography, archival fashion and surprises from over 150 artists, icons, rule-breakers and mark-makers. Dance Fitness - Tuesdays (weekly) 3 - 4pm Jean Stokes Community Centre, Carnoustie Drive, N1 Healthy Generations and Age UK Islington are partnering to bring a Dance Fitness class to this recently refurbished community centre in Islington. This Dance Fitness class with a mix of latin, disco and pop music, includes strength, balance and functional exercises. Take part seated or standing. Tech Break - Fridays fortnightly, 12noon-1pm (Zoom) Have you discovered Age UK Islington's Tech Break? We have fortnightly presentations about a specific IT subject based on feedback and questions from clients. March's Topics: Fri 10th: More about emails Fri 24th: Online Tutorials and Education. To book for a Tech Break session, click the button below. "This is such a good session...Please pass my appreciation to Simon." Tech Break Client Self-Advocacy Workshop, Thursday 23 March, 2-5pm North Library, Manor Gardens, N7 Self-advocacy is being able to speak up for yourself and being able to ask for the things that are important to you. Following the success of the workshops earlier this year, we're running an extra workshop. We'll go over why self-advocacy is important and what are the barriers for it, to then learn and practice self-advocacy skills. This workshop is particularly useful for those who are facing issues dealing with organisations. Breakfast Club Get Together, N1 Tuesday 28 March 2-4pm Join Age UK Islington and the Breakfast Club team for a chat and a cuppa at the ever popular Breakfast Club Get Together, Angel. It's always popular. Come along and meet other locals and the friendly Breakfast Club team! PARTNER EVENTS & SERVICES Islington Libraries - discover what's on your doorstep! 10 venues across Islington If you haven't been to your local library recently, you might be surprised at the range of resources that they provide. And mostly all for free! Click below for a full guide to what's on offer and the latest activities.
In addition to a wide range of books for loan (including audio and large print books), you can find free eBooks, online magazines and newspapers, an activities programme including creative classes, gentle exercise options and English conversation classes. They also have access to over 100 PCs, providing access to the internet, printing and scanning and free wi-fi. There's also one-to-one digital support sessions. Islington Health & History Walks Islington Guided Walks and Islington Council are offering a series of free health and history walks in local parks. These offer the chance to stroll at a gentle pace and appreciate nature, whilst also hearing about fascinating local history. The next one is on 31st March. Dementia survey & opportunity to access RITA Islington Council is currently putting together a strategy to support people living with dementia in Islington. If you are living with dementia or care for someone living with dementia, there's a last chance to contribute to Islington Council's survey (it only takes five minutes to complete).
You might also be interested in applying to have access to a device that's being piloted by Islington Carers Hub to help people living with dementia and their carers. RITA (Reminiscence and Rehabilitation Interactive Therapy Activities) is a device with lots of content to spark lost memories, creative activities, books and quizzes to stimulate the brain and there are also fun and simple games to entertain. You'd need to complete a simple form before Monday 6 March to apply to take part in the pilot. Make 'No Smoking Day' the day you quit for good! No Smoking Day is on 8th March. Every cigarette contains harmful chemicals which are bad for your brain. Quitting smoking reduces your risk of developing dementia. If you smoke, quitting is one of the best things you can do for your health and your family this No Smoking Day. For free help to quit in Islington click the button below or call 020 36332609. More tips and advice at https://stopsmokinglondon.com/ Contacting Age UK Islington If you are finding things difficult and need someone to talk to, don't forget that you can call the Age UK Islington Helpline on 020 7281 6018 (Mon to Fri 9am to 5pm) or email gethelp@ageukislington.org.uk.
Contact the Helpline to receive our newsletter straight to you inbox (if you're not already on our mailing list)! How do you find the service provided by Age UK Islington? If you have any feedback that you'd like to share about our communications or our services, please drop us a line on communications@ageukislington.org.uk. | 
