By TANIA PHILLIPS
Pic 1 (106562-expo1): Pic1: Spreading the word are Tweed Shire Council Project officer Lyn Porter and volunteer Lee Swindells – both based at the Banora Point Community Centre.
Pic 2 106564-expo2: Enjoying the seniors Expo are Tony Atkinson of the Men’s Shed, Phil “Maddog” Davison of the Men’s Shed and Seniors Expo Committee and Angela Stacey of The Good Guys.
Pic 3: 106565-expo3: Tweed Seniors Expo members Ida Daly, president Pauline Dow and Anne Bigelow.
Pic 4 106566-expo 4: Tweed Library assistant Kym Thompson with her popular display on E Audio and E books. A big crowd flocked to the annual Tweed Seniors Expo at the Seventh Day Adventist Centre, just north of Murwillumbah last week.
Pic 5: 106596: Representatives of U3A Tweed Coast from left Lynda Tait, Marg Moore, David Wood and Ann Wood.
Pic 6 1065706-expo: Pic 6: Ross Davis and Tony Dehn of the newly renamed Prostate Twin Towns – the group meets every third Friday of the month at the Tweed Heads Bowls Club.
Pic 7 106576-expo7: Relay for Life Committee members Iris Pisarek, Val Quinn and Jean Dudgeon. The third annual Tweed event will be held at Cudgen early next year. An official launch was held last week on the Tweed – full coverage in next week’s Tweed Coast Weekly.
Pic 8 106578-Expo8: One of the most colourful displays of the day belonged to the Murwillumbah and District Garden Club. Pictured are club member Linda Hill and president Gordon Smith.
Pic 9 106580-expo9 : Mayor Barry Longland catches up with Fay Gleave and Di Barrack of St John Ambulance. The group is currently looking for more members.
Pic 10 106581-expo10: Representatives from the three local Toastmasters groups Iris Nathan, Ellen Ganson, Garry Jardine and Helen Fraser.
THE Tweed Seniors Expo, usually held at the end of the Tweed Seniors Week earlier in the year, was moved to September for the first time.
The expo featured all types of services and activities for seniors. This year’s co-incided with Dementia Awareness Week and keynote speaker was the Hon John Watkins CEO of Alzheimer’s Australia NSW.
Mr Watkins said while there was as yet no cure, scientific research shows it may be possible to reduce your risk of developing dementia, or delay the onset by taking action in your thirties, forties and fifties.
He challenged Tweed residents to do the Heart Your Brain Challenge – a challenge that Tweed Shire Council Mayor Barry Longland announced he had taken up.
The mayor has signed up to 21 days to brain healthy habits during Dementia Awareness Week 2013.
“I’m excited about taking up the Brain Challenge and will dust off my guitar in an attempt to learn a new song on my guitar each week, practicing every day during the Challenge,” Mayor Longland said.
“We’ve only got one brain so it’s vitally important to do whatever we can to reduce the risk of developing dementia and looking after our brain health.”
“It’s never too late to take time out to look after your brain health,” Mr Watkins said.
“It’s great that Cr Longland has taken up the challenge to better brain health and we hope others will come on board and join him.
“There are simple changes we can all make in our everyday lives that will improve our brain health. “Sign up and make a change for the better. The time to act is now.”
Head to www.yourbrainmatters.org.au to find out more about the challenge how to lead a ‘brain healthy’ lifestyle.
Cr Longland will officially begin his challenge at the Tweed Memory Walk on Sunday 29 September. The Memory Walk, at Jack Evans Boat Harbour, is the major event of Dementia Awareness Week in Tweed Shire.
In the federal electorates of Page and Richmond there are an estimated 5,200 people living with dementia. That is expected to soar to almost 16,500 by 2050.
