Bridge helping people stay healthy and active into their 90s

BBC Woman's Hour on Radio 4 on Thursday 21st April looked at how women in their 90s have managed to stay healthy and active. Two interviewees from Birmingham cited bridge as one of the biggest influences on their prolonged good health, noting both the benefits of keeping the mind active, and also the social benefits of playing bridge after the death of their husbands.

The interview is available on the BBC website for a limited time - scroll to 15:00 for the start of the interview (which lasts around six minutes).

If you know someone - of any age - who would like to learn then please refer them to the map on the EBED website, which shows all affiliated clubs and EBTA teachers in the country. They can then locate their local teacher or club and enquire about lessons.

Interviews such as this not only show the significance of bridge to people in this demographic, but also the importance of continuing to look at how bridge offers social and cognitive benefits to people of all ages, and how the game can be used to provide benefits to society.

The EBED Sim Pairs event, which takes place in the first week of May, will be raising funds to help the charity undertake work relating to the social and health benefits linked to playing bridge, including combatting social isolation and cognitive decline. Clubs which are participating can be seen on the EBU's sims pages - click on the date in question for a list of registered clubs.