52 The Lawns, Home of Hackney Silver Surfers.

The BBC is backing a major new piece of scientific research to find out if the web is rewiring our brains.

In collaboration with the CIBER Research Team at University College London, we’re launching a test to see how people think when they are using the web.

This is your chance to be the very first participants in a test that will be rolled out across the nation, and be filmed for the landmark BBC Two series, Digital Revolution. To find out more about the series please go to our website .

In the final BBC Two programme, the test will feature alongside interviews with — among many others — Tim Berners-Lee, Bill Gates, Al Gore and Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook.

If you are 17–18, 25–34, 45–54 or 65–74 years old, you are eligible to take part.

We explain the activity to the group and start them off first on a series of memory/concentration ‘Brain training’ type games, and secondly on a series of 4 questions to which the participants find the answer by using the web (unless they know it already!)

The questions in the second part of the activity are quite interesting, so should be fun for participants to answer. An important thing to emphasise here is that it’s not about right or wrong — what we’re interested in is seeing how people of different ages and experiences use the web, rather than their final answers.

We are currently developing a questionnaire on bowel cancer. We are looking to recruit 30 people aged over 50 years who are willing to fill an online questionnaire on two occasions.

The completion of the questionnaire takes between 10 and 15 minutes. As a reimbursement for their time, we can offer 5 pounds that will be paid on completion of both questionnaires.

Dorota Juszczyk,
Cancer Research UK,
Health Behaviour Research Centre,
Epidemiology & Public Health, UCL.
2-16 Torrington Place
London WC1E 6BT.

Email:  d.juszczyk@public-health.ucl.ac.uk .

Digital communication tools are becoming more and more pervasive in our daily lives and staying in touch regardless of time or location has become an important part of our living. Also, with the creation of social networking technologies, we can see that people are developing ‘cyber relationships’ locally and over long distances with friends and families.

I am one of those people who uses social networking websites such as Facebook or instant messaging programs to stay in touch with friends and family back home, but are current Information Communication Technologies suitable for the need of those senior adults who are not computer literate?

For instance Skype is one of those media rich tools that provides us the means necessary to establish a textual, audio and video communication. I use Skype to talk to my parents regularly since it is a cheaper and more effective way of communication. Simply being able to see one another through a webcam and video makes a huge difference on family relationships, it gives the user the feeling of closeness. But at the same time, if there is no one to help my parents to set up the computer and run the program, they will not be able to interact with the computer — therefore will not be able to use the technology for its intended purpose. So another big issue here is the usability of human-computer interactions and the use of the technology for the senior users which I would like to investigate in more depth.

I work for the Thames Discovery Programme, based in Shoreditch.

Our programme would be a great opportunity for any of your members to get involved with an interesting archaeology project, and use their newly-developed IT skills as well.

Over the next three years, the archaeologists from the programme will survey 20 archaeological sites along the tidal Thames. This will be supported by the work of the Foreshore Recording and Observation Groups (FROG), who will monitor the surveyed sites for changes, as the daily tides scour away the remaining archaeological features. The FROG will be made up of volunteer members of the public, who will be trained in foreshore recording techniques, health and safety and digital recording by the TDP team. We are running a regular programme of free training events for anyone interested in joining the Thames Discovery Programme as a FROG member, interested in getting involved in background research, joining in with our public events or just to find out more about the Thames Discovery Programme. More detailed information can be found on the Thames Discovery website .

We run the FROG training events on a three-monthly cycle, with an Introductory evening, followed by a classroom-based Day 1 training event about a month later and a foreshore based Day 2 training event a month after the Day 1 training. A central part of our project is digital outreach, and we want as many people as possible contributing to the website. People can write for it and add their own photos or film of the Thames foreshore.

Our next introductory evening will be held at LAARC, Mortimer Wheeler House, Eagle Wharf Road, N1 7ED on the 1st May from 6 to 7.30 pm. All are welcome, and no previous archaeological knowledge is expected. All of our events are free.

Lorna Richardson,
Archaeology Outreach Officer,
Thames Discovery Programme,
‘Community Archaeology on the Thames foreshore’.
Phone: 0207 566 9310 .
Email: l.richardson@thamesdiscovery.org .

A project is being conducted at the Institute of Gerontology, King’s College London, for which we need to interview male/female couples in which at least one partner is over the age of 65. We are looking for people of a range of ages over 65, and also aim to represent the ethnic and social mix of the areas we are working in (north London and south-west London).

The interview concerns the management of household money by older couples. However, please be assured that we do not ask for any personal details which may seem intrusive. Couples will be given £40 for taking part in the interview, for which we will need about two hours of their time. In our experience, people find it is quite interesting to talk about the subject. The interview material is kept totally confidential and participants are never identified in any report.

This is part of a project being conducted for the Economic and Social Research Council, who are also financing the project. Hence, it will be used to guide and shape government policy in the future. This particular study has been given ethical approval by the Ethics Committee of King’s College London.

The lead researcher on the project is Dr. Debora Price, and her co-researchers are Dr. Dinah Bisdee and Mr. Tom Daly.

Our website may be viewed at: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/sspp/geront/res/bcd .

The interviews are best conducted in people’s own homes if they are willing. Otherwise, we are naturally prepared to pay for the hire of space in a day centre or other building, if this is necessary. We do need quiet, private spaces in which to work so that the interview will not be overheard and can be recorded effectively.

Many thanks for your help.

I hope that you all remember the presentation I gave last November on a study I am conducting called “Design a Better Computer for Senior Citizens”. I am now at a stage were recruitment can begin, so I am looking for participants who would be willing to complete a Pack containing a workbook, questionnaire and a 7-day diary and attend a 1-day workshop.

The workbook contains 22 questions and exercises that will ask you about your computer use and preferences e.g. how and when you use a computer, why you use a computer, your likes and dislikes, and who taught you how to use a computer.

The questionnaire contains 40 questions related to your background (e.g. your occupation, education and personal characteristics). There will also be questions about how you deal with specific situations and people.

Finally, you will be asked to complete a 7-day diary were you will report your experiences and feelings while using a computer.

The Pack will need to be completed within your own time preferably wherever you use a computer, you will also be required to spend approximately 20-minutes per day completing these tasks.

Once you have completed the Pack, you will then be asked to attend a Creative Workshop to be held at City University London. You will be placed in a group with 6 other participants and asked to design a device for senior citizens.

Participants who complete both parts of the study will receive a £20 M&S gift voucher. If you have any questions or you would like to register your interest, please contact Helena Sustar ( helena.sustar.1@city.ac.uk ) by 15th April 2009. Please note, only 15 participants will be permitted to take part in the study.

If you have any questions or you would like to register your interest, please contact me: by email — helena.sustar.1@city.ac.uk .

Thank you for your time.

Helena Sustar
PhD Research Student
City University London.

P.S. If you know of any other mid-lifers friends who you feel would be interested in taking part I this study, please could you past on my contact information.

Hackney is diverse in many respects. There are people of different ages, some who have lived here for 20 years or more, and others who have just moved in. There are people of different social classes and from many different countries.

Our study aims to find out how people feel about this neighbourhood, what the good and bad things are and whether they feel comfortable living here. What do people have in common and share, and how do people make new friends in this neighbourhood? We would also like to find out if there are any problems for people living here, and what these problems might be. Are there any conflicts between people?

Similar research is being undertaken in European cities such as Berlin and Amsterdam. The researchers are Susanne Wessendorf and Katharina Schmid. Susanne lives in Dalston.

We hope to write a book about the area and pass on good ideas to local services and organisations.

Are you still in touch with friends you made when you were younger? Have you got a friend you meet with now whom you would say was as close to you as family? What would you do if you didn’t have your friends around you? Would you like to be in a BBC documentary to talk about your thoughts on friendship?

Who I am and what it is.

My name is Simon Draper. I’m making a short film for the BBC about friendship and I’d be really interested in talking to you. My filming style is very informal. It’s just me and a hand-held camera filming you as you go about your business. The film will be 5 minutes in length and I hope to get it commissioned by the BBC to make into a full length 60 minute documentary in April 2009. The documentary will look at the rise in popularity of friendship websites, such as Facebook and MySpace, that offer people the chance to make literally hundreds of new friends at the click of a mouse. I am interested in finding out whether ‘virtual’ friends are as good as real friends and I believe it’s time to explore the value of what friendship really means.

Who I want to speak to and what I want to do.

I would like to film senior people and their friends to hear their thoughts on the value of friendship. I am especially keen to meet senior people who still have long-term friends, dating back to when they were much younger. By contrast however, if you have made a friend only recently but consider that friend to be your life-line I would love to hear from you too. I would like to film you and your friend(s) sharing time together - whether at your local club, society or parish meeting. Or on the allotment, local amateur dramatics or bridge club. Frankly it’s who you are and what you want to say that’s important so a chat over a cup of tea or taking the dog out is just as good. I’m a one-man band and live in Hackney, so can easily come to you or meet at your regular spot with your friends.

Where and when.

I am keen to meet as many people as possible in the next 2/3 weeks (19th Jan onwards). Filming would normally take about an hour. If you’re happy to be filmed and have something to say, then please get in touch.  It will be a fun and an interesting experience and your informed opinion is crucial to the film. Please contact me from the details below. I really look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,
Simon Draper.
Mobile:  0797 1980 311 .
Tel: 0207 241 3578 .
Email: simon.draper@hotmail.co.uk .