|
We’ve always suspected the Laterlife website attracted a
particularly interesting and active group of people. Even so,
we’ve been overwhelmed by the sheer get up and go, the vitality
and the humanity of those people who entered the Warner Breaks Laterlife
Challenge 2007.
The judges had a daunting task
whittling the applications down. They first selected 4 regional
finalists for each region and from these they selected one
overall winner for each region.
They then went on to choose a
national winner which was extremely difficult but eventually
they selected Christine Edwards as the national winner and John
Cullis and Paul Juby as national runners up.
The overall regional and national
winners are below but we will also be publishing details of many
of the regional runners up in the future, as they are also
great role models for making the most of retirement.
*****************************
Midlands & Wales Region and
National Winner
Christine Edwards, 64 from
Rutland, Leicestershire.
Christine receiving her award
from Tony Clack (MD of Laterlife) in the clubhouse of North
Luffenham Golf Club
When Christine’s husband Bill had two serious heart attacks
followed by bypass surgery 15 years ago, the pair saw it as ‘a
wake-up’ call – realising that a change in lifestyle was needed
with a healthier diet, more exercise and above all to enjoy life
to the full. They joined the local pitch and putt course, and
then when the Greetham Valley Golf Club opened nearby, became
founder members.
Christine ‘really excelled herself at this time,’ says her
sister-in-law, Audrey Oversen. ‘She not only won through local
and area rounds but went on to represent England in the Rover
Cup in Spain. It meant conquering her golf nerves and also
plucking up courage to fly for the first time.’
Back at the time of Bill’s illness, Christine also gave up paid
employment, retiring early from her job as town clerk.
Instead, she began to serve as a volunteer member of the Uppingham Town Council. She has been Finance Officer and Deputy
Mayor and, says Audrey, ‘always had the interest of the ordinary
people of Uppingham at heart. On many occasions she is stopped
in the street by a resident who has a worry or concern about a
local issue and is never too busy to talk it over and follow up
on their behalf if necessary’. She is also on the committee
responsible for the setting up of the local branch of the
‘Prince's Trust’ and has helped young local people get several
projects off the ground. She has also been a ‘rock’ to other
members of her family coping with illness, including helping out
with hospital visits whenever needed.
Judges comments
The judges were very impressed
indeed by the breadth of Christine’s activities in retirement.
Not only is she doing things for other people but she is also
developing herself. How many of us take up something in
retirement and then represent our country at it?
Christine is leading the way in almost every ‘category’ of the
Challenge. She is having new experiences, she’s keeping active,
she’s doing things for others and she’s certainly got that
‘Spirit of the Sixties’ when we thought that anything and
everything was possible! In the judges’ view, she is an
excellent example of how to make the utmost of retirement.
East Anglia Region Winner and
National Runner Up
Paul Juby, 76, from Great
Yarmouth
Paul at work in his office
Paul has become a published author this year with his first book
reviewed on the Internet and by the local newspaper. Paul has a
great sense of humour and his book Laugh With The Lord is a
collection of 200 Christian cartoons – quite appropriate for a
man who loves preaching and does so around twice a month at one
of 24 local Methodist churches. He has also collected 420 topics
to preach on and once that’s reached 500, he plans to publish
them as a collection for use by himself and other preachers.
A long-term supporter of The Boys Brigade in Malaysia, Paul set
up the Federation of Stedfast Associations for the UK and
Republic of Ireland at the age of 70 to raise funds and support
BB activities – and as a former chairman of the FSA, he takes
its establishment very seriously. This year alone, he has
written to 80 UK newspapers and more than 80 BB battalions in
the UK to publicise the FSA’s activities. As honorary Vice
President of the BB in Malaysia, he visited Malaysia and Hong
Kong to prepare to lead his 4th sponsored climb of Mount
Kinabalu(13,500ft) for BB Asia next year. ‘This will be as
always an international climb, with the largest team from Hong
Kong and participants from Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia,’
he says. Not bad for someone with two artificial hips – giving
him the nickname "Robokop".
He rises at 5.30 and spends two hours on his electric treadmill, as
well as indulging in his favourite hobby of gardening. Having
thoroughly enjoyed his 70s, he is now looking forward to an
eighth decade that he is certain will be full of adventure.
Paul receiving his award
Judges comments
Paul made the judges tired just
reading about his exploits and, considering that he’s in his
late 70s, it’s amazing that he has so much energy. His writing
and his dedication to the Boys Brigade, through the FSA, are
truly excellent examples of how to develop oneself through new
experiences and of how to help others in retirement.
When those activities are added to his exercise and gardening
regimes, which keep him incredibly active, his whole lifestyle
is one of making the most of retirement. With his amazingly
positive outlook on life, the judges are convinced that he will
continue to be a role model for all retired people for many
years to come.
South East Regional Winner and
National Runner Up
John Cullis, 66 from Epping,
Essex
John together with Josh his
flying instructor receiving his award at Stapleford Flight
Centre
At 66, John, a former headmaster, has taken on the challenge of
learning to fly at his local flying club, Stapleford in Essex.
He has already passed exams including Navigation, Meteorology,
Air Law, Radio Telephony, Flight Planning, Human Factors and
Pilot Performance and a series of practical tests including a
cross country solo navigation test. He’s about to take his final
practical tests which will give him his pilot’s licence. It may
sound highly dangerous – but it seems par for the course.
John also enjoys travelling and new experiences. This year
alone, he drove 2,500 miles around Europe, learned to steer a
narrow boat down the Oxford canal, went down in a submarine and
went camel riding. ‘I’ll try anything once,’ is his motto.
He likes to help others too. He helps out locally with Save the
Children and even took over Jake the Boxer when the dog’s owner
couldn’t keep it – and now takes it for long walks every day.
He’s also a governor of a local secondary school and is still
engaged in primary school teacher training for the University of
East London. This involves him in visiting schools across East
London observing, grading and encouraging students.
John standing on the wing of the
Warrior in which he learnt to fly
Judges comments
John is a truly inspiring example
to all retired people. He is a leader in almost every ‘category’
of the Laterlife Challenge. He helps others and he keeps active
as well as helping Jake keep active, too! He enjoys new
experiences in abundance and, with his learning to fly, truly
has that ‘Spirit of the Sixties’, when we thought that anything
was possible.
He is a perfect role model for retired people and shows everyone
that being retired doesn’t mean the end. Far from it – it’s an
entry into a whole new way of life!
Note
By the time John received his
award he had also passed his final practical tests, so is now a
fully qualified pilot!
South West
Roy Pepworth, 69 from Bristol
Roy at 'the sea walls' Bristol overlooking the Avon Gorge
When Roy retired from his job in recruitment five years ago,
he was determined he would not just sit around doing nothing.
And so far, he has kept to his word.
When Roy retired from his job in recruitment five years ago, he
was determined he would not just sit around and do nothing. And
so far, he has kept to his word.
Roy and the walking group on a beautiful November morning.
As a Bristolian with a good knowledge of the area and its
history, he is walk leader of a local walking group that meets
every Thursday morning, 52 weeks a year doing different walks
that Roy researches himself. The group makes good use of their
free bus passes. But it’s walking that Roy loves - he does at
least an hour every day. The result is that he feels fitter than
ever and has taken four inches off his waist size and weighs the
same as he did 30 years ago.
He delivers the church magazine every month, on foot of course.
He also works on a voluntary basis for Bristol prison, as the
training officer on the independent monitoring board and he
keeps his organisation skills in order as the company secretary
for the privately owned block of flats where he lives.
With Rosalind, his wife of 45 years, he loves to go cruising and
explore new places and cultures – with a cruise planned to
celebrate his 70th birthday next year in the Far East, visiting
Hong Kong, China, Japan and Vietnam.
 Judges comments
In the judges’ view, Roy
epitomises all that is good about retirement. Roy helps others
but also finds time for himself and his family by exploring new
parts of the world. He keeps active and by doing so helps not
only himself but others, too. His range of activities is so
broad that it is amazing that he finds time to relax!
Roy is a perfect example to all retired people with his energy,
enthusiasm and willingness to help others as well as making sure
that he and his wife don’t miss out on an enjoyable retirement.
By combining his help for others with his keeping active and new
experiences he is a leader in many of the Laterlife Challenge
‘categories’. As such, he is a worthy winner.
North, Scotland and Northern
Ireland
Joan Elliott, 65, Wirral,
Merseyside
Joan receiving her award with
some of her collection of bells in the background
A former occupational therapy
manager, Joan does a great deal of work to help others and has
developed her previous hobbies and interests much more fully in
retirement. In addition she now takes the opportunity to travel
to new places, make new friends worldwide and teach her
grandchildren activities she learnt as a child. She has just
returned from Bucharest taking items to an orphanage there.
Joan has always been an active member of Lions Clubs
International, and in 2004 – 2005 was elected to serve as
District Governor – the first lady in the district to hold this
office. The District covers, Wirral, Cheshire, Shropshire,
Staffordshire, and North Wales – a total of 66 clubs which had
to be visited during the year.
As a member of West Kirby Lions Club she is involved with
fundraising events, some of which include organising a Christmas
Star appeal which invites the public to donate a gift for a
child who will otherwise receive nothing at Christmas, reading
for their Talking Champion project – a recording of a local
magazine for the visually impaired on the Wirral - and
co-ordinating their ABC – Action for Babies and Children, a
project which distributes children’s clothes, toys, and blankets
to Eastern Europe.
For the future her aim is to initiate 2 projects for children in
Sri Lanka. One will be to obtain individual sponsorship for 20
children who attend a Lions Child Care centre. The centre was
built with funds raised during an appeal which she initiated
when District Governor in response to the Tsunami. The other is
to obtain reading books for schools in Sri Lanka and arrange
transportation of them to Colombo.
Joan’s hobby of many years has been collecting bells. Since
retirement she now has the time to research information about
bells and with her husband has formed a group for collectors –
Bell Collectors of the British Isles. She now has a collection
of over 800.
More of Joan's bell collection
Bells have also caused Joan to get to grips with a variety of
technological techniques including buying and selling on eBay. Earlier this
year she was invited to give a presentation to the American Bell
Association convention in Chicago which caused her to produce
digital images of her bells and incorporate them in a powerpoint
presentation for the first time. She’s also produced a simple
web page for the Bell Collectors of the British Isles club.
Joan now enjoys travelling and visiting places she didn’t have
time to during her working life. Lions Club international and
her bell collecting provide the opportunity but she says, ‘the
highlight for me was this year when we took a trip to Sri Lanka
and I celebrated my 65th birthday, with a seafood barbeque on a
torch lit beach with the Indian Ocean lapping at the rocks.
MAGIC!’
Back at home Joan also plays an important part in her
grandchildren’s lives during school holidays. As well as
creating a family scrap book for them she says, ‘I try to teach
them some activities which were taught to me as a child:gardening, rug making, cross stitch, craft work. Hopefully in
the future they will recall these skills and teach them to their
children’
And finally Joan likes to do her bit to ‘save the world’ making
use of the web site Freecycle to offer items to others which she no longer
needs.
Judges comments
Joan’s activities took the
judges’ breath away! She’s a leader in almost all the Laterlife
Challenge categories. She helps others, she enjoys new
experiences, she keeps very active, she’s discovering new skills
and, in the ‘Spirit of the Sixties’, when we thought anything
was possible, she clearly still does!
She is a wonderful role-model for all retired people, proving
that retirement is the gateway to a whole new way of life.
People can develop themselves, help others and have fun; Joan
shows everyone just how they can do it.
If you or someone you know are
doing interesting things in their retirement, we would love to
hear from you. You can use this years nomination form to get
your entry for the 2008 awards in early!
|
