Richmond's free fair for older residents and carers runs 10am to 3pm on Friday 30 October, with health checks, talks, a free café and a station shuttle.
Richmond Council’s Full of Life Fair for older residents and carers is at Twickenham Stadium on Friday 30 October. It is free, and it runs from 10am to 3pm. The council’s registration page on Eventbrite gives those times and was still open on 16 October.
The fair is a single place to find out what help, activities and services exist in the borough. The council’s stallholder list has 65 entries, from Age UK Richmond and Citizens Advice to the Alzheimer’s Society, Princess Alice Hospice and the borough’s community centres.
What is on
According to the council’s about the fair page, visitors can:
- try taster sessions of community activities
- get one-to-one help with everyday technology, and advice on avoiding scams
- talk to local health and social care professionals in a dedicated Health Centre
- drop in to a Spotlight on Dementia room through the day
- find local groups to join
The Health Centre, upstairs, offers blood pressure and BMI checks, nutrition and hydration advice, balance and musculoskeletal advice, and seasonal vaccines.
There is a free café all day with hot drinks and light snacks. Lunch is different: tickets are allocated by local community organisations, based on need, so it is not something you can book yourself.
The timetable
The council has published the session times for each room.
| Time | Session | Room |
|---|---|---|
| 10.15 to 10.50am | Origami | Rose Room |
| 10.15 to 11am | Talk: Lasting Power of Attorney | Shakespeare Room (upstairs) |
| 10.15 to 11am | Live podcast with The Encore Years | Live Room (downstairs) |
| 11.10 to 11.50am | Singing for the Brain | Live Room |
| 11.15 to 11.40am | Men's weights workshop | Rose Room |
| 11.15am to 12pm | Talk: how to stay safe from scams | Shakespeare Room |
| 11.45am to 12.15pm | Chair yoga | Rose Room |
| 12.15 to 1pm | Talk: cost of living and financial health | Shakespeare Room |
| 12.20 to 12.50pm | Mindful relaxation | Rose Room |
| 12.30 to 1pm | Line dancing | Live Room |
| 1.15 to 1.40pm | Disco | Live Room |
| 1.15 to 1.45pm | Art and Soul workshop | Rose Room |
| 1.15 to 2pm | Talk: Tools for Life | Shakespeare Room |
| 1.45 to 2.30pm | Tango taster | Live Room |
| 2 to 2.45pm | Chi kung | Rose Room |
Getting there
The entrance is through the Live Room doors on Whitton Road, and volunteers will be outside to point the way. The stadium’s address is 200 Whitton Road, TW2 7BA. All of this comes from the council’s transport page.
- Free shuttle bus. A wheelchair-accessible bus runs between Twickenham station and the stadium through the day. It leaves from the right side of the station, which has a lift.
- On foot from the station. Turn right out of Twickenham station and cross the road. The council puts the walk at 10 to 15 minutes.
- By bus. Routes 281, 481 and 681 pass close to the stadium.
- By car. Parking is free in the North Car Park, through Gate 3 on Whitton Dene. You must register your car with the stadium in advance, or risk a ticket. The car park is about a 10-minute walk from the fair entrance. The council says to allow extra time, because the A316 is busy at peak hours.
- By bike. There are cycle racks in the south-east corner of the stadium, by the ticket office.
What it means for you
If you are older, or you care for someone who is, this is a chance to find most of the borough’s support services in one room on one day. The talks on Lasting Power of Attorney and on scams are the kind of advice that is hard to get face to face anywhere else.
Register before you go, on Eventbrite or by phone on 020 8871 8390 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm). A carer or support person can come with you. The venue has a small number of wheelchairs, which you can book on the registration form or by telling staff when you register by phone. Questions go to fulloflife@richmond.gov.uk.
Smaller events before the fair
The council’s Full of Life Fund is paying for free events run by local groups through October. Places at some are limited and go to whoever books first. Those still to come before the fair, from the council’s fund events page, include:
- Saturday 17 October, 11am: a wellbeing workshop for unpaid carers and people living with dementia, Sheen Lane Centre, East Sheen, run by Crossroads Care (Richmond residents only)
- Thursday 22 October, 12 to 1.30pm: a candle-making workshop at The Avenue Club, Kew
- Thursday 22 October, 10am to 2pm: The Joy of Music at the Elleray Centre, North Lane, Teddington
- Friday 23 October, 3 to 5pm: a dementia-friendly screening of Singin’ in the Rain at Ham Library
- Wednesday 28 October, 12pm: an inter-generational mini Olympics at Mortlake Hall
- Thursday 29 October, 10am: a salsa event at Whitton Day Centre, Kneller Road, run by Multicultural Richmond
Each listing on the council’s page gives the organiser’s booking email.
More on what else is happening this month is in our what’s on in Richmond guide.
Have your say