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OVER 50'S CHOOSE 4-WHEEL DRIVING OVER GARDENING
THESE new travel rock n' rollers seek extreme adventure according to new report.
Forget relaxing in the sun - snowboarding, sky diving and cycling are some of the new holiday choices for the over 50s termed NIFDES - Newly Independent Fifties Discovering Extreme Selves.
Just 20 years ago 40% of NIFDES were choosing UK based holidays. However, in 2005, a new Stena Line report shows a different picture with people travelling further afield in search of thrill-seeking activities and adventure.
What are NIFDES?
Of the 17,162,249 empty nesters, the study discovered that a vast majority are rediscovering their independence, as children move out and retirement is taken early. The over 50s consequently have more time on their hands and more disposable income available to them.
The Stena Line report showed that only 6% of NIFDES said they sunbathed whilst on holiday, with the rest choosing physically challenging activities.
TOP FIVE NIFDES ACTIVITIES:-
1. 4 Wheel Driving
2. Cycling and Walking
3. Extreme Skiing
4. Scuba Diving
5. Abseiling
· ON VACATION:- NIFDES are using their early retirement by spending up to 8 weeks on holiday a year.
· NIFDES ON THE ROAD:- They clock up 3,984 holiday miles each, per trip, either by car, ferry, plane or train - that's the equivalent of 5 car trips from London to Scotland and back and 20 ferry trips from Harwich to Holland and back.
· INVESTING IN TRAVEL:- NIFDES spend £2,330 per person on their holiday adventures, which equates to £4,660 per couple each year- that's 22% of the household income for the over 50s.
· FAVOURITE HAUNTS:- Europe is still a favourite, with one third of NIFDES choosing countries such as Holland, Italy, France and Greece. Long haul destinations, such as the USA, are also popular rising from 7% in 1985 to 47% in 2005.
· TIME OUT TRAVEL:- Stena Line has discovered that 60% of the number of over 50s would consider taking extended time out to travel the world, with 47% currently planning a far flung trip.
· IMPULSIVE BOOKING:- A third of NIFDES book holidays at the last minute, while 27%[xi] spend up to a week deliberating their choice of holiday, dispelling the myth that they book months and months in advance.
Marion Mayhead of Stena Line comments:- "We conducted the research on our Stena Line Harwich to Hook of Holland service that takes people to the continent. The results show that NIFDES are increasingly taking more holidays and many of them are going off peak, taking advantage of the quieter times such as between Easter and half-term. The results show a definite move towards more challenging breaks. Although we still see lots of passengers coming on board towing caravans, we're also seeing NIFDES checking in their cycles and roller-blades too!"
Justice brings its own reward...
£250 on offer for voluntary groups
A bounty of £250 is on offer to voluntary sector groups who organise an innovative event to celebrate the contribution volunteers make to justice in England.
The 20 grants are up for grabs as part of Justice Month in April, one of the themed months of the Year of the Volunteer, which is run by CSV (Community Service Volunteers) and the Volunteering England Consortium, and is backed by the Home Office.
Events must highlight the role of volunteers who work in the criminal justice and community safety sector,
which includes magistrates, victim support volunteers, special constables, prison visitors, mentors, youth workers and many more..
and should be based around one of the four themes of the month, which show how volunteers:-
* Prevent crime happening - such as neighbourhood wardens, youth clubs, working with offenders, making environments less crime-friendly.
* 'Put things right' - working with victims of crime, or in restorative justice projects to help repair the damage of crime
* Build community confidence - helping the understanding of the criminal justice system, and bringing people together
* Find a new career - discovering a passion through the training and commitment involved in volunteering in the justice sector
Melior Whitear, Head of Communications for Nacro, the crime reduction charity, and spokesperson for Justice Month, said:-
"Over 70,000 people give their time voluntarily to help make our communities safer - working with victims, offenders, on community initiatives to reduce crime or as part of the court process. The Justice Month small grants scheme wants to encourage diverse, imaginative, serious or irreverent ideas that help promote and celebrate the important contribution of volunteers. We want to see a wide range of volunteer hosts applying for a grant to help give their volunteers the recognition they deserve."
Applications must be submitted by noon on Thursday 31 March 2005, and are available, with further information, from Vicky Crofts on 0207 812 0034 or
vcrofts@csv.org.uk.
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Blitz exhibition
LIVERPOOL based Group Urban Strawberry Lunch will be mounting a photographic exhibition of wartime Liverpool on the railings of St Luke's Church, thanks to funding from the Big Lottery Fund. The exhibition runs from 1 May until 8 May 2005, is free of charge, and promotes the group's 6 year long "Finest Hour" Liverpool Blitz Sound Archive project.
In the first 2 weeks of May 1941 Liverpool suffered a series of devastating attacks known as
"The May Blitz" which dramatically changed the history and landscape of the city. Saint Luke's Church, Leece Street, was hit by an incendiary bomb in the early hours of 6 May 1941 and stands in the same state of destruction today. St Luke's (better known as "the bombed out church") has become the focus of the Finest Hour sound archive.
Ambrose Reynolds, Artistic Director of Urban Strawberry Lunch said:- 'People pass St Luke's everyday without realising it's significance. Little is archived about the experiences of the ordinary people of Liverpool during WWII, despite them having suffered the worst losses in the UK outside of London. It's the spirit of Liverpudlians that allowed them to endure it, but this is rarely recognised or commended.'
The exhibition will feature photographs contributed by:- Liverpool City Records Department, The Museum of Liverpool Life's Stewart Bale archive, and privately owned photographic collections of the people of Liverpool.
On the 2 of May there will be a VE Day celebration in the grounds of St Luke's Church, Leece Street. This is a FREE event and tickets will be issued on a first come first served basis. If you would like a ticket, contact us now at the number below.
Urban Strawberry Lunch want to hear from people who were in Liverpool during the Blitz and are willing to contribute their memories to a permanent sound archive of the memories of children, women and men who fought WW2 from their own doorsteps.
To contribute photographs, memories, or for tickets to the VE Day party, contact The Finest Hour team at Urban Strawberry Lunch, 13 Hope Street, Liverpool, L1 9BH, 0151 709 7562,
finesthour@usl.org.uk.
FEAR FACTOR:- OVER 1 MILLION INCIDENTS OF ABUSE EXPECTED AT PUBLIC EVENTS
ACCORDING to research from Group 4 Securicor (UK Security), there will be 1.1 incidents of abuse towards British adults at public events over the next year. Verbal abuse is the most common form of antisocial behaviour at public events and Group 4 Securicor estimates that there could be over 71,000 victims in the North West over the next year.
The research reveals that over 50,000 adults in the North West could be victims of physical violence at public events over the next year. Over 12,000 adults in the North West may be forced to endure sexual intimidation at public events during the next twelve months. Interestingly, the research also revealed that men are just as likely as women to suffer from sexual intimidation whilst attending a public event.
51% of adults in the North West are more concerned about safety at public events than they were two years ago. Group 4 Securicor's research reveals that on a national level 24.3 million British adults are more concerned about safety at public events than they were two years ago. Women were particularly concerned with 59%, 14.2 million, expressing serious concern about safety issues. Group 4 Securicor, which commissioned the research believes that the findings highlight the need for event organisers to commit resources to ensure effective security solutions, which will assuage the public's safety fears.
Douglas Greenwell, Marketing Director of Group 4 Securicor (UK Security) said:- "It is essential that those attending public events can do so in safety, free from violence and intimidation. Organisers cannot afford to ignore this worrying problem of abuse and violence which could have serious implications on attendance figures and gate revenues. The strategic deployment of trained security officers can help reassure spectators, deter potential offenders and tackle any incidents that arise. Security measures serve the dual purpose of not only protecting spectators' safety at events but also their enjoyment of the spectacle."
Adults in the North West are 6 times as likely to be victims of physical violence at public events as those in the South, Scotland and Wales and the West. British adults living in the North East, Yorkshire & Humberside are most likely to suffer from racist provocation, while those living in Wales and the West are most likely to face verbal abuse at public events over the next year.
Creatives Industries Network meet in Warrington
FROM craft, film and video to music and advertising, Creative Industries fits into a variety of headings and these were the topics for discussion when Warrington played host to the first Creative Industries Network last week.
The meeting was organised to encourage Warrington companies, of all sizes, to meet with other creative industries and to discover how regional and local initiatives can benefit them.
The event, organised by Warrington Borough Council's Economic Development Team, featured speakers such as:-
* Andy Lovatt - Head of Creative Industries from the Northwest
Regional Development Agency.
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* Jane Dawson - Arts and culture Officer from Cheshire County Council.
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* Alistair Sunderland - Austin Smith Lord - who sponsored the event.
Dr. Carsten Kressel, Head of Economic Development, said:- "With statistics revealing that Warrington is home to more than 7,000 creative thinkers and 140,000 employed across the Northwest, it was the perfect opportunity for networking and exchanging ideas and plans for the future. I feel certain that many new relationships have been forged by this event and that mutual understanding about how best to combine our strategies and implement our ideas to - move forward within the creative industry - has been achieved."
This event is the beginning of the network and further events will be organised in the near future.
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