C4AR News and Events

News:

Centre for Ageing Research Regional Launch

View the event launch video here

Over seventy people from across the region attended the official launch of the Centre for Ageing Research (C4AR) on Friday June 18th 2010. Presentations on policy and the changing healthcare needs of an ageing population by guest speakers Mike Hill (Executive Chair of 5050 Vision) and Prof Douglas Mitchell (Associate Medical Director (R&D) & Consultant Neurologist, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust), set the scene for a range of ‘bite-sized briefings' delivered by academics from across the University. The diverse range of briefings offered an insight into the strength and vibrancy of research activities around ageing at Lancaster. Janet Ross-Mills, Chair of the Older Learners Group, concluded the event by reflecting on how Universities can best work with older people to meet their needs. The event was web streamed live for those unable to attend in person.

Located in the Faculty of Health and Medicine and directed by Prof Christine Milligan, the Centre for Ageing Research is an exciting new initiative which brings together researchers working in ageing research from Biomedical and Life Sciences, Health Research and Medicine. In addition colleagues from across the University who are involved in research around ageing, older people and age-related disease are able to contribute to this truly cross-disciplinary research activity.

Supported by external advisory groups consisting of key agencies from the statutory, private and third sectors, that have an interest in ageing and older people, as well as older people themselves, the Centre establishes Lancaster University as a leading regional, national and international centre of excellence for ageing research.

Anyone with an interest in issues of ageing and older people is welcome to review these pages.

Senior Learners celebrate their New Learning Adventure

“A very entertaining day! I learned a lot from the seminars and lectures, and was introduced to another benefit of belonging to U3A.”

Over 120 members of Lancaster and Morecambe University of the Third Age (U3A) took part in a day of lectures and seminars on 23 March 2010 to celebrate the end of the “New Learning Adventure” programme. The “New Learning Adventure” (NLA) enhanced the learning opportunities available to U3A members by enabling them to access weekly lunchtime lectures from leading academics, and discussions, as well as sitting in on undergraduate lecture series. It was run by the Department of Continuing Education in conjunction with Lancaster and Morecambe U3A and a group of volunteers from the Senior Learners Student Society. The programme was funded by the government's Transformation Fund and provided a national demonstration model for how such as partnership could work to mutual benefit and at low cost.

The learning day was followed on 24 March by a national conference at Lancaster University which was attended by representatives from 14 different U3A groups. Key note speakers included Professor Christine Milligan, Centre for Ageing Research, on Lancaster's research into ageing; Professor Chris Phillipson, Centre for Social Gerontology at Keele University, on Policy and Practice in Older People and Learning; and Dr Alex McMinn, Chair of the National Research Committee of theU3A on the U3A Perspective.

U3A and HE delegates discussed how a similar scheme might work in their own area and heard from participants, University academics and volunteers on what they had gained from their involvement in the programme.

The activities of the New Learning Adventure will continue in autumn 2010 when the programme transfers to the this centre and becomes the Continuing Learning Group. The project's evaluation report and a guide on how to set up this type of scheme will shortly be published on the DCE website, along with conference presentations.

Forthcoming Events:

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE:
Ageing: Moving Beyond Boundaries

5th - 7th September 2012

The emphasis of this conference is the interdisciplinarity of ageing research. It aims to offer greater understandings of the range of issues recognised by those working on issues of ageing and older people. It will contribute insights from across disciplines in order to move beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries by exploring common strategies and solutions in the following areas:

• normal ageing processes and the ageing body, including the biology of ageing in model organisms;
• preventative strategies and how best to promote active ageing;
• how to prevent, diagnose and cope with 'diseases of older age';
• understanding how we might best address the care and support needs of rising numbers of our 'oldest old'.

Click here to view the International Conference home page.

ESRC Seminar Series

May 2011 - January 2013
Opportunities, challenges & tensions: linking the ageing and disability rights agendas

Facilitated by some of the key thinkers, policy-makers and activists in the field, this seminar series will explore the opportunities, challenges and tensions involved in the formation of closer links between the ageing anti-discrimination and disability rights agendas.
Click this link for more information about this seminar series.