Mentoring Across Borders

Mentoring Across Borders

 The European Age Platform has a project to help mentor across borders. Also across age difference. Loving this project idea of us OAPs helping the younger generations flourish in their life! We have a lot to share and learn together with our young generations... but by being a mentor we can help build confidence and keep a focus to achieve set goals. I very inspiring zoom training this week. 

Ruby Wax at Beck Theatre

Ruby Wax

Beck Theatre Hayes

Brilliant evening with Ruby Wax at our local theatre. Ruby was bravely taking us on a journey of understanding of her recent depression. In her unique fun way was able to narrate some of her experiences and feelings. There was a closeness through her humour and her style of presentation in her one woman show.. presented in her PJs with very few props on the stage. Yet we went WITH her on this journey. Amazingly inspirational. Good to have time with her after the show in the book signing time. So engaging with her fans as if a friend for life. Her book now I am reading is like she is reading it to me.  I hear her voice and no I am not needing the clinic. lol 

Glad Caroline my friend was able to come with me, she too enjoyed the show and met with the Ruby after.  Quite an experience and on our doorstep at the local theatre. 

Visited New Rituals Store Oxford Street

Rituals

Rejoin EU March

Last Saturday joined in with the Rejoin EU March as someone that always felt togetherness was better. I voted remain on a referendum that never needed to be. brexit was like a political hand grenade thrown into our society to create division. The votes were very close for both remain and leave. Now I look back on Theresa May being landed with the spin off problems of leave, she was trying to heal the rift with some compromise. 

But my issue now is that of the loved ones receiving gifts I send to them in EU now expected to pay customs tax to receive. I would love sending parcels every fortnight to my Syrian children in Belgium and gifts to their cousins in Germany. My parcels large or small or even just an A4 would get to them in 3-4 days no problem when we were in the EU..but now with this hard deal brexit we are of course outside the EU and thus treated as such. Parcels despite declared a gift, geschenk, cadeau on a now customs form are still charged customs for loved ones to receive. I feel my connection weakened now and so frustrated with this situation.  I have a Belgium friend and a German friend that I used to send treats too but now a problem. Gifts become a burden to family and friends to receive. Our local Portuguese cafe and their Portuguese customers here around the corner from my home say they have had their families ringing saying please do not send parcels we are having to pay to collect them! Wedding gifts Birthday gifts and simply fun treats for kids affected. But it affects our tradesman here in the UK as we feel impeded from spending on products to send to our loved ones in the EU. What a brexit mess we are in.  

it was good to mingle with the marchers last Saturday to share stories, frustrations and issues. We all felt that given the present turmoil in the world being together is so important to problem solve.  I also pointed out when I was out in travelling in the world I felt stronger as a European/British citizen with two parliaments to fight for me if in any problems!

this cute photo of the dogs joining the march makes me think of the brexit pharmaceutical issues we are having and of course vets too. 

 

Women in Parliament meeting

Brilliant well attended meeting yesterday in parliament Portculus House Atlee room. Shows that parliament is an Open house,  it is a people's parliament not an exclusive club. We have a constitutional right to get our voices heard and help fashion policies for a better society, a society where all citizens have living dignity, the vulnerable cared for & supported to best possible health. I identified with what Maria had said that she had worked before becoming an MP where women formed most of workplace. I shared that has a nurse and particularly a midwife our professions had good mix of gender or mostly women.. we have excellent female surgeons, female obs & gynae among men, women has Directors of Midwifery services.  Even my first ever job was to work with a female architect in Skipton who qualified in the 1930s so to think of her pioneering achievement..   I brought forward that in my first day of training we were taught to be politically aware to protect our patients; to protect our profession and to protect our NHS....how our NHS now needs intensified protection. I brought to the panel the need to cultivate more decision making among our youth in schools, local councils and parliament - After all its their future ..We all felt we need better representation of the public when selecting candidates to stand for MPs in their constituency.  This is just a brief blogpost for now ..I need to read through the handout reports. Here are links 

Fawcett Society

APPG on Women in Parliament

Global Institute for Women's Leadership 

Mums call for help Stem Cell donors

Read how you can help

Can you help little Francis ...? You only have to order a cheek swab pack to see if you are a match ..if you are its only like donating blood ..no surgical procedure.. read more on the website  a moving story on this morning BBC breakfast how a mum with a success story of her son's life saved now helping other mums with babies that need stem cells to combat leukaemias ....I could not register as I am over 55 ..the 55 years age is cut off for willing donors... So sharing to get help.. 💞

https://www.dkms.org.uk/

Kings College Meeting Women's Leadership

The Global Institute for Women's Leadership

Women in Global Health

Women in Global Health UK

Recording of meeting

Monday evening I attended this meeting at Kings College London. It was very well attended and I met some very inspirational students and speakers. It gives me hope that we have young women that are full of passion and drive to achieve a better world for all. They are prepared to tackle key subjects of Health Conflict and Climate issues.  I noted in my question that those 3 words are dominated by the word Conflict. Conflict damages our health and our planet health to now seen extreme climate challenges.  We attended this meeting having just witnessed on the news the massive Earthquake in Morocco and the horrendous flooding in Libya. The loss of life and casualties on a mass scale! Yet still we have deluded power egos in the world war mongering and fighting their immature tantrums damaging lives, infrastructures and communities in senseless destruction. So it is a ray of hope that those of us that wish peace in the world and wish healing of the world are coming together.  Some of the women I met though still in their 20s being in top influential jobs.  

It was good to network over drinks and snacks and to have good conversations with attendees. I felt Marjorie truly me mixing with students listening to their goals and guiding with good wise advice to achieve those goals.  I felt respected and listened too despite being an old lady now retired and soon to be 70 but then there is a lot of experience in me to share. I was able to share about my Family Link Up project and how I have befriended a Syrian refugee family over the last 8 years and the knowledge I have learnt from this project journey. A journey that took me in camps and in our parliament to get voices heard.

So though retired keep active in international and domestic issues. we all shared how in lockdown we found the portal Zoom and was able to attend international conferences and meeting on Climate change.  I highlighted my concern with other health professionals on the Health impact of climate change. I made some of the attendees aware of The Global Climate and Health Alliance so a very proactive and interesting evening. 

London yesterday

Hillingdon Arts Pavillions Uxbridge tik tok & 👑

Happy to Chat Uxbridge today

Brilliant day today in the Pavillions Uxbridge with our Brunel University Student Volunteers. The Happy to Chat project is to help combat loneliness, reduce anxiety and bring communities together. Today had interesting conversation with one elderly man who has had amazing life experiences. Suggested he write a book ...and he said he was but not an autobiography instead using his experiences in a novel. I loved the way he could enter his characters and know how they would think and act in situations. Fascinating.. Had time with one of our local retired nurses who is wanting to get more involved in the project.. We had an interesting time sharing nursing stories. One of the PhD Brunel Students was interesting he is looking at Environmental Gerontology.  I made him aware of parliament groups he may wish to join. Now as I write up this blog post I must email him to tell him of Lord Nigel Crisp and his Health is made at home Hospital are for repairs webinars  ..I am sure Lord Crisp will be interested in this PhD study. Health is made at home

So as I am now a tik toker hhhhh here are some tik tok films from today ...

Duck Pond Market Ruislip

Had a sudden decision to go to the Duck Pond Market in Ruislip...A market first & third Sunday in the month. I wanted to get some material for my tiky toking hhhh and try the direct bus route from near my home to Ruislip high street. The bus is a brilliant link.. I had been thinking maybe my Ukrainian friend would have liked to have met up too.. but spookily we did .. Juliya, Orhan and the children were there... amazing.. good chat meet up too .. So some photos and tiky tocky films to share ... so scroll & enjoy..

 

September look fun

 Hhhhhh getting into snapchat and tiky toky .. now which look for September? 

Hhh where is Ken? Sod Ken lets party alone ....