Age UK Islington January Newsletter With the December festivities seeming a distant memory, we are looking forward to our next (and nearly final) Staying Well event taking place later this month on 25 January!
Staying Well in 2024
The new year is a great time to start thinking about trying something new! Join us to help 'banish the January blues' with our next Staying Well event. This time we're going to be focused on Keeping Active & Connected.
In the morning we've invited some of the best local activity providers to give a taster of what you can do locally all year round. A light lunch will conclude the morning session and afternoon tea will follow an afternoon concert. You'll need to choose either the morning or afternoon and booking is essential! NEW Get Together printable magazine Take a look at what's coming up in January and February with your own printable copy of our latest Get Together magazine. It includes activities hosted by Age UK Islington, but also other activity providers in the borough, including a selection of activities taking place in Islington Parks and specialist courses including weight loss and joint pain programmes. The start of a new year is always a great time to get organised!
Our Future Matters team has organised information sessions on 23 January and 8 Februrary to help you put a Will in place, or a Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA). All adults should have these, no matter what their age or assets, yet an astonishly high number of people do not have either.
In response to requests from previous sessions, the team will also cover what to consider when it comes to funerals and how to put an Advance Care Plan (ACP) in place. An ACP can be helpful to let NHS staff know your healthcare wishes.
Taking some time to think about these things now, can save families a lot of stress and heartache. It can also save rushed decisions in the event of an emergency. GET TOGETHERS & SUPPORT GROUPS Let's Talk Peer Event Monday 22 January, 10.30am - 1.30pm LIFT Islington, 45 White Lion Street, N1 9PW Join us for our monthly Let's Talk event. It's relaxed, friendly & social. This month we're going to be joined by the Future Matters team. So another opportunity to find out more about Lasting Powers of Attorney, Funeral Planning & Wills. Tech Break Friday 12 January & 26 January, 12-1pm (Zoom) Want to explore what your smartphone, tablet or pc can let you do? The next Tech Break session is on 12 January and host Simon will be looking at 'How to improve battery life & battery health on your devices'. On 26 January, the discussion will be about 'What software/app/feature made a big difference to you in 2023'. It's always a friendly, lively discussion and whether your a novice when it comes to tech or are an experienced user of tech, you'll receive a warm welcome.
Email activities@ageukislington.org.uk stating which session you'd like to join, and we'll send you your Zoom link. Popular Monthly Get Togethers Park Theatre & Breakfast Club Our Park Theatre monthly Get Together will be taking place on Thursday 11 January at 2pm with the matinee Kim's Convenience to follow. Our regular Breakfast Club Get Together will be taking place on Tuesday 30 January 2 - 4pm at this popular Angel cafe. It's essential to request to book. Please note that there are a limited number of places and clients who have not previously attended will be given priority booking. Self-Advocacy Workshop Wednesday 17 January, 2 - 5pm
Jean Stokes Community Centre
Coatbridge House, Carnoustie Dr, London N1 0DX Self-advocacy is being able to speak up for yourself and being able to ask for the things that are important to you. Find out why self-advocacy is important, what are the barriers to achieving it and learn and practice self-advocacy skills. Hosted by Rethink, this workshop is particularly useful for those who are facing issues dealing with organisations. Saatchi Gallery exhibition with art workshop Friday 19 January, 2.30 - 4.30pm Duke of York's HQ, King's Road, London, SW3 4RY
Come and join us on this visit to Saatchi Gallery for a guided tour of the exhibition If Not Now, When? followed by an art workshop.
As part of Saatchi Gallery's Season of Sculpture, their co-headline Winter exhibition, If Not Now, When? will feature 29 remarkable female sculptors, celebrating their contributions to the world of art from the 1960s to now. Drop-in Community Gardening in Islington Parks
Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays 10am – 12 noon N1, N7 & N19 There are opportunities to join community gardening sessions at three locations in Islington. It is free to participate and all tools and refreshments will be provided. Wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather. There is no need to book, just turn up. Health & Wellbeing Walk, Islington Ecology Centre Fri 5 January (1st Friday of the month)10-11am, Drop-in! Gillespie Park, 191 Drayton Park, N5 1PH Take a breath of air and have a gentle stroll around Gillespie Park in the company of others. Jo from the Islington Ecology Centre, always provides a fascinating insight into the surrounding nature reserve and how it changes with the seasons. The walk is around 30 – 45 minutes, depending on the attendees and the weather. There's free tea and coffee afterwards. No need to book, drop-in! It's also dementia-friendly.
Islington Ecology Centre is the blue wooden building just inside the park entrance on Drayton Park. There is one disabled car parking space outside the centre and room for another car. They are a 4 minute walk from Arsenal tube station.
Any questions, call the Islington Ecology Centre on 020 7527 4374 or click the button to email if you'd prefer.
Adult Community Learning Thursday 4 & Friday 5 January enrolment days Are you looking to start a course in January? If so, Adult Community Learning have enrolments days on 4 and 5 January 2024, any time between 9.30am and 4pm at the Community Centre, 76 Parkhurst Road. N7 0FF. On the day you will be able to speak to a member of staff about any one of their courses and sign up. There is a good range of courses starting in the New Year. Just go along to find your perfect course! Click below for their new spring course guide. The Recovery College offers free educational courses for everyone aged 18 or over who lives or works in Camden or Islington. They provide in-person and online sessions on recovery and maintaining wellbeing. The course guide and calendar can be found at the link below. Enrolment is open and can be done online or via in-person enrolment days from 8 January. Sobell Great Winter Get Together
Monday 15 January, 10am-1pm
Sobell Leisure Centre, Tollington Rd, N7 7NY
As part of the Great Winter Get Together weekend in memory of Jo Cox, (12-15 January 2024), Sobell Leisure Centre will be holding a free social event. This includes hot drinks and biscuits for all. There will also be a variety of sports activities on offer, including a fitness class (circuit), table tennis, short mat bowls and dominoes. Dementia Information Sessions Thursday 11 January, 10 - 11.30am Islington North Library, Manor Gardens, N7 6JX Thursday 15 February, 10 - 11.30am
Islington West Library, Bridgeman Road, N1 1B Around 1,500 people in Islington live with dementia. These free Dementia Friends sessions can help you understand more about the signs and symptoms of dementia. You will also get tips on making a difference to the lives of people affected by dementia. Dementia Friends is an Alzheimer’s Society initiative that aims to change the way we think, act and talk about dementia. Booking for the sessions is encouraged, but not essential. Boxing Fitness Programme Saturdays 10.30-11.30am 13 January to 30 March
Claremont Project, 24-27 White Lion Street, N1 9PD, Champions 4 Change are offering a boxing fitness programme for adults in Islington with or at risk of type 2 diabetes.
See the link below for registration details. Tranquil Health & Wellbeing Workshop Saturday 20 January, 1 - 4.30pm Brickworks, 42 Crouch Hill, Finsbury Park, N4 4BY Join a fun-filled afternoon with a sing-along, chair exercise, zumba fitness, music and dancing, at this special New Year party! Stress Project Mindfulness Course on Zoom Wednesdays 6-7.30pm, 17 January to 13 March
Learn Mindfulness tailored to your mental health needs. Clinically proven to help de-stress, improve sleep, reduce anxiety and depression. Islington Mind January Timetable Islington Mind offers a weekly programme of support to people who have mental health problems and people who are recovering from mental health problems. Sharing their January timetable via the link below. Proposals for the Finsbury Leisure Centre Site Consultation events at various Islington venues In the new year, the council will be launching the next phase of public engagement on their plans for the Finsbury Leisure Centre Site. This includes building new homes, including council homes, an affordable new leisure centre, space for an NHS GP surgery as well as improved public spaces, with the aim of helping to build a more equal future for Islington.
They are holding three events where you can meet the team and provide feedback in different venues/online on Tuesday 9 January, Thursday 11 January, Saturday 13 January.
North Central London Musculoskeletal Programme Information Session & Consultation Monday 29 January, 1 - 2.30pm. Online The North Central London NHS Musculoskeletal Programme Team would like to get feedback on proposals for changes to their service to ensure that they align with the needs of the North Central London communities.
Join their online information session: at the time of the meeting click here or the button below to join the Microsoft Teams meeting and enter the passcode. Meeting ID: 389 769 688 04, Passcode: eYkCnE
If you have any queries, please contact the North Central London Integrated Care Board at nclicb.msk@nhs.net. Whittington Health Self-management Programme: 17 / 18 January
See the latest start dates for new in-person and online programmes - there's a general programme and one for people living with diabetes coming up. Run by experts together with people living with long-term health conditions. Confidently manage your health and feel more in control in just 6 or 7 weeks. It's an amazing resource and all for free. Read more.
Be a London Lifesaver The Mayor of London's office has provided useful information about what we can all do in the event of someone having a cardiac arrest. London Ambulance Service are also running free public training courses on 26 Feb and 25 March. Read more.
Winter vaccinations Get your COVID-19 and flu vaccines if you’re eligible. Read more.
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.
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