‘Because I Love it’ Older People and Learning at Leicester Professor John Benyon

1. Institute of Lifelong Learning ‘Because I Love it’ Older People and Learning at Leicester Professor John Benyon Director of Research Institute of Lifelong Learning University of Leicester

2. ‘Because I Love it’Older People and Learning at Leicester Institute of Lifelong Learning • Background • Topics and speakers • Who participates? • Why do they attend? • What do they think? • What impact do the seminars have? • What is the future for the series?

3. Lifelong Learning, Older People and SocietyBackground Institute of Lifelong Learning • First seminars – 2005 – 29 seminars held so far – over 1,100 attendees • Aim: To provide an opportunity to explore the benefits of learning activities for older people and wider society in different areas of public policy • Aim: To try to influence policies in this field and to improve and increase the provision of lifelong learning for older people • Funding: Learning and Skills Council • Potential audience: Older people and those working with them, U3A, Age Concern, academics and researchers, local authority officers, community groups, WEA, adult educators

4. Lifelong Learning, Older People and SocietyFirst Series – 2005 Institute of Lifelong Learning • Older People and Employment: The Learning Agenda27 May: Professor Stephen McNair (CROW, University of Surrey) • Ageing and Mental Health24 June: Susan Benbow(Staffordshire University) • Empowerment of Older People30 September: Mervyn Eastman (Better Government for Older People) • Researching Older People’s Learning21 October: Alex Withnall (Warwick Medical School) • Older People: Citizens not Social Casualties25 November: Eric Midwinter (Centre for Policy on Ageing)

5. Lifelong Learning, Older People and SocietySecond Series – 2006 Institute of Lifelong Learning • Intergenerational Learning – Everyone Benefits5 May: Professor Norma Raynes (Intergen; University of Salford) • A Place to be Parked or a Place to Grow? 2 June: Nigel Appleton (Contact Consulting) • Learning for Life: Lifelong Learning and Older Women 14 July: Sue Jackson (Birkbeck Institute for Lifelong Learning) • The New Dynamics of Ageing Programme22 September: Professor Alan Walker (Director of the NDA; Sheffield University) • Ruralwide: Supporting the Needs of Rural Elders20 October: Vanessa Burholt(University of Wales, Bangor) • Living Later Life to the Full: Are We Getting There?24 November: Paul Cann(Policy and International Affairs, Help the Aged)

6. Lifelong Learning, Older People and SocietyThird Series – 2007 Institute of Lifelong Learning • The Premature End of Lifelong Learning? 27 April: Jonathan Hughes(Open University) • Education and Ageing: An Enduring Effect? 25 May: Professor Carol Jagger(Epidemiology, University of Leicester) • From a Rest to a Responsibility29 June: George Leeson(Oxford Institute of Ageing) • Whither Adult Education Policy and Older Learners 28 September: Professor Alan Tuckett(Director, NIACE) • Creativity and Lifelong Learning26 October: Reemer Bailey(Voluntary Arts England) • Minority Ethnic Elders: Learning Full Cycle30 November: Professor Naina Patel (Ageing and Ethnicity, UCLAN)

7. Lifelong Learning, Older People and SocietyFourth Series – 2008 Institute of Lifelong Learning • Educating Rita – No Thanks! 25 April: Jim Soulsby (NIACE; University of Leicester) • Combating Social Exclusion 23 May: Amy Swan (Help the Aged) • Lifelong Learning, Equity and Inclusion 27 June: Andrea Baron (Age Concern) • Learning to Self-Direct 26 September: Mick Connell(Leicestershire County Council) • Living and Learning – Our Biological Roots 31 October: Professor David James (University of Surrey) • Effective Research = Older, Louder, Stronger 5 December: Attracta Cosgrove(WEA Northern Ireland)

8. Lifelong Learning, Older People and SocietyFifth Series – 2009 Institute of Lifelong Learning •  Equality, Human Rights and Later-Life Learning Learning1 May: Baroness Greengross(Equality and Human Rights Commission) • Exercise and Ageing: Is it Too Late for Me?29 May: Bob Laventure(Heart Foundation Centre, Loughborough University) • Informal Adult Education. How’s it Shaping Up?26 June: John Gibson(Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills) • Empowerment in an Ageing World25 September: Mark Gorman(HelpAge International) • The Government’s Ageing Strategy23 October: Stephen Balchin(Department for Work and Pensions) • Neural Plasticity and Learning in Later Life27 November: Val Bissland(Senior Studies Institute, University of Strathclyde)

9. Profile of the participants 1 Institute of Lifelong Learning Gender Number of respondents: 62 Number of respondents: 60

10. Profile of the participants 2 Institute of Lifelong Learning Question: please describe your ethnicity Number of respondents: 56 Number of respondents: 63

11. Profile of the participants 3 Institute of Lifelong Learning Travelling arrangements Distance travelledMode of transport 0 – 2 miles 28%Bus 26% 3 – 5 miles 33%Car 33% 6 – 10 miles 16%Train 15% 10 – 50 miles 20%Bicycle 6% Over 50 miles 3%On foot 20% Number of respondents: 63 Number of respondents: 64

12. Profile of the participants 4Attendance patterns Institute of Lifelong Learning Number of respondents: 63 Number of respondents: 63

13. Profile of the participants 5 Institute of Lifelong Learning Employment (current or before retirement) Teacher/tutor: 11 Foster carer: 1 Sales manager: 3 Engineer: 1 Accountant: 4 Town planner: 1 Housewife: 3 Consultant: 2 Health visitor: 2 Full-time carer: 2 Housing manager: 2 Nurse: 3 Laboratory assistant: 1 Businessperson: 3 Lecturer: 7 Doctor: 1 Horticulturalist: 1 Librarian: 1 Soldier: 1 Social worker: 2 Clerical worker: 4 Finance officer: 1 Social care manager: 1 Researcher: 1 Careers adviser: 1 Adult learning manager: 2 Designer: 2 Number of respondents: 63

14. Current educational involvement Institute of Lifelong Learning Teacher in primary school 1 Teach medical students 1 Parenting course 1 Adult literacy volunteer 1 Teach social workers 1 PhD student 4 School governor 3 Work with the elderly 1 Associate lecturer 1 Volunteer in primary school 3 Adult learner 22 DMU 2 Open University 2 Manager of Adult Learning 1 Question (open-ended): What is your current educational involvement?

15. Publicity Institute of Lifelong Learning Question (open-ended): How did you find out about the seminars?

16. Motivation 1 Institute of Lifelong Learning Question (open-ended): Why did you decide to attend the seminar?

17. Motivation 2 Institute of Lifelong Learning Question (open-ended): What do you want to get from the seminars?

18. Views of the seminars 1 Institute of Lifelong Learning Number of respondents: 57 or 58. All percentages have been rounded

19. Views of the seminars 2 Institute of Lifelong Learning Number of respondents: 57 or 58. All percentages have been rounded

20. Institute of Lifelong Learning Views of the seminars 3 • The talks have been first class bringing real knowledge and experience to the group. • I have found all the speakers and themes have left much to think about and value. • You care well and cater for people like me with a sight disability/visual impairment. • Thanks to all involved in organising these excellent events. • I come to these seminars on older people and learning because I love it! Question (open-ended): Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

21. Level of themes Institute of Lifelong Learning Question: The emphasis has usually been on national/international themes and issues – which do you prefer?

22. Institute of Lifelong Learning Documentation Number of respondents: 53 Question (open-ended): What, if any, paperwork or other information from speakers would you wish to have?

23. Impact 1 Institute of Lifelong Learning • I feel that one of the major functions of a university should be to act as a force for change in the locality where it is based and these seminars are having an impact. • These seminars contribute to people’s well-being. • I often discuss topics from the seminars with my Women’s Institute Committee. • The LILL seminars with their outward-looking focus are extremely ‘socially useful’. Questions (open-ended): Is there anything else you would like to tell us? Did any of the seminars stimulate you to look for more information or to join in any discussions or debates

24. Impact 2 Institute of Lifelong Learning • Older people are an under-used source of social capital and these seminars are full of positive ideas. • I have shared information from the seminars with my colleagues at Age Concern. • Information from these seminars has given me greater understanding and helped me as we are looking at the ways our church, Holy Trinity, is dealing with the challenge of the ageing population. I have been greatly stimulated by attending these seminars and meeting people there. Excellent! Questions (open-ended): Is there anything else you would like to tell us? Did any of the seminars stimulate you to look for more information or to join in any discussions or debates?

25. Impact 3 Institute of Lifelong Learning Parish councillor 2 Community Centre 1 Church 4 Staffs Adult Learning Service 1 University of Leicester 4 Women’s Institute 2 AEA 3 U3A 11 Age Concern/Age UK 6 Leics Adult Learning Service 1 ChangeAGEnts 1 Local Education Authority 2 Community Fellowship Group 1 NHS 2 Cruse Bereavement Care 1 Pensioners’ Action Group 4 BSG 1 Older People’s Action Group (OPEN) 1 Nextstep 1 WEA 2 County Integrated Partnership for Older People 1 East Midlands Older People’s Advisory Group (EMOPAG) 1 Question (open-ended): What organisations are you involved in that are relevant to these seminars?

26. Future topics Institute of Lifelong Learning The ageing society 5 Older prisoners 2 Natural history 1 Poverty/social exclusion 5 Psychology of ageing 2 Volunteering 3 Finance/pensions 4 Arts for older people 3 Age discrimination 2 Policy issues 2 Health and learning 4 Dementia 4 Ethnicity and ageing 2 The ageing process 1 Work and older people 3 Social interaction 1 Music and older people 1 Ageing and the brain 4 Families and older people 3 Ageing in other countries 2 Learning opportunities 9 Lifestyles/time use 2 Diet/supplements 1 Living arrangements 1 Complementary medicine/yoga for older people 1 Question (open-ended): Please list themes you would like to see covered in the future

27. Possible future speakers Institute of Lifelong Learning Tom Kirkwood 2 Susan Greenfield 1 Joan Bakewell 3 John Field 1 Felicia Huppert Bishop Tim 1 Question (open-ended): Please tell us the names of any speakers you would like to hear

28. Institute of Lifelong Learning Number of respondents: 61 Number of respondents: 47

29. Conclusions Institute of Lifelong Learning • Seminars appear to be highly successful overall • Seminars have achieved the aim of providing an opportunity to explore the benefits of learning activities for older people and wider society in different areas of public policy • Seminars have had some success with the aim of trying to influence policies in this field and of improving and increasing the provision of lifelong learning for older people • There are issues around continuing funding • There are strong arguments for continuing the series if funding can be found • Universities have a responsibility to engage with their local communities and to disseminate research findings, in this case on the ageing society and the benefits of learning for older people