Royal visitor views Keele Active Ageing project

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The Earl of Wessex with VC Nick Foskett

Posted on 04 May 2011

His Royal Highness, The Earl of Wessex, KG GCVO, visited Keele yesterday to get an overview of the University and see a range of teaching and research activities designed to change social attitudes towards older people.

Accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire, The Earl was welcomed to Keele by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nick Foskett, who introduced him to the Pro-Chancellor, Mr Ian Dudson.

He was also introduced to the Mayor of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council,  Councillor Mrs Ann Heames, the Mayor’s Consort, Mr Bill Heames, and Chief Executive of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Mr John Sellgren.

The Vice-Chancellor gave Prince Edward an overview of Keele before introducing members of the Active Ageing project team, who gave a presentation on their work, with an outline of the project given by Professor Chris Phillipson and Dr Mo Ray.

The Vice-Chancellor then accompanied His Royal Highness around four groups covering the Active Ageing project and giving him the opportunity to meet those directly involved and hear about their work:

Group 1 – The experience of older people undertaking courses which provide insights into the nature of growing old. This provided a view from older people themselves about the benefits of these types of courses.

Group 2 – The benefits of Keele's Life History programme for work with older people with dementia. This focused on the benefits for practitioners of courses provided by Keele University.

Group 3 – The experience of Keele University User Forum run by the Centre for Social Gerontology and the general experience of Keele University programmes and the benefits for older people.

Group 4 – The description of the Ages and Stages Project, which included members of the project group.

His Royal Highness also met Staffordshire Duke of Edinburgh Award co-ordinators and award winners in the Great Hall before departing for Kingsland Primary School in Bucknall, where a converted aeroplane is used as a classroom. As part of his visit to Staffordshire the Prince had earlier visited the new control room at Staffordshire Police headquarters.

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