Explore men’s health with former Celtic and Arsenal striker, John Hartson

The following is press release from Haringey Council:

Former Celtic and Arsenal striker, John Hartson, will be the guest speaker at a free event in Tottenham on Friday (1 June 2012) that aims to make older men more aware of their health and wellbeing, as well as providing a few laughs in good company.

The ‘Lunch with John Hartson’ event takes place at the Bernie Grant Centre, Tottenham between 11am and 4pm. As well the chance to meet John and hear his views on staying fit and healthy there will be a free prize draw and the opportunity to explore how to deal with some of those health niggles, and maybe prevent more serious conditions from developing.

The event is organised by The Intrepid Explorers’ Club, a small but ambitious group of older men who appreciate the health and wellbeing benefits of meeting people and connecting with individuals and groups from different backgrounds. The club gets support from Haringey Council and Age UK Haringey.

It's important to make sure that older men don’t just brush off aches and pains but seek medical advice and tackle the problem. If someone you know is male, over 50 and thinks a healthier lifestyle is boring, time consuming or difficult, apply for a ticket and enjoy a bit of myth busting.

John Hartson is originally from Wales and played as a striker from 1992 until 2008 in the Scottish Premier League for Celtic and the Premier League for Arsenal and West Ham United. He also featured prominently for Wales, earning 51 caps and scoring 14 goals.

Men’s health is one of the key priorities for the council as it looks to take over responsibility for public health from the NHS in April. Men in east Haringey live, on average, nine years less than men in the west and almost 27 per cent smoke. Like most areas of the country the population is ageing. Almost ten percent are aged over 65 and this is expected to increase to around 12 per cent by 2021.

Everyone who applies for a ticket to this free event can be included on the club’s list of names to contact in future about other events as part of a programme designed to encourage and enable healthier happier lives. For more information contact Age UK Haringey on 020 8885 1505.