Grey Matters Day receives celebrity support

Broadcaster and former 'I'm a celebrity, get me outta here!' contestant, Jennie Bond, and television actress, Sue Nicholls, have given their ringing endorsement of Grey Matters Day, which takes place next month on Friday 21 July 2006.

The two well known personalities have written to ERoSH to help the charity promote the day to its membership and their local communities.

Sue Nicholls, who plays Audrey Roberts in ITV's Coronation Street, said:
"We all try to take care of ourselves as we go through life, because our physical health is important to us. What about our mental health? We may blame our occasional forgetfulness on our age, but we don’t have to give up on ourselves that easily.

That's why I applaud ERoSH's Grey Matters Day, which is reminding us that an active brain is a healthy brain. Learning my lines for Coronation Street naturally helps my memory, but it's fantastic to think that doing a simple puzzle or crossword every day can help in the same way. Sheltered housing is a wonderful environment where like-minded people can socialise and share hobbies that can help to keep their minds active too.

I therefore wish ERoSH and the hundreds of thousands of older people who live in retirement housing across the UK, every success and lots of fun for July 21."

Jennie Bond, who has recently presented the BBC's programme, 'British Menu', said:
"I wish ERoSH the very best success for Grey Matters Day. I think it's a fabulous idea and sheltered housing is a wonderful facility for people in their senior years. I can't stress enough the importance of keeping physically active and mentally agile. My mother is 83 and is a whiz at crosswords and Sodoku. She is far better at it than I am; in fact, she taught me long before people had even heard of it! She races through them. It does keep your brain young."

Grey Matters Day is targeted at the thousands of sheltered and retirement housing estates and schemes, and older people in their local communities throughout the UK, with the aim of encouraging them to engage in activities – like quizzes, puzzle and board game tournaments - that help keep their grey cells healthy and active. Research has suggested that life-long mental exercise and learning have been linked with delaying the onset of dementia.

The support for Grey Matters Day is growing weekly.  Jennie Bond's and Sue Nicholls' support of Grey Matters Day follows that from NAPA (the National Association for Providers of Activities for Older People) and the Mental Health Foundation.

ERoSH has also received considerable interest from MPs who wish to visit their local sheltered and retirement estates to take part and help promote the messages of the Day.