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Local inventors win national Laterlife Challenge prize

Monday 31 July 2006

Two East London inventors are among the first winners of the Laterlife Challenge, a new annual competition to recognise and reward the achievements of retired people throughout the UK.  

Terry Jennings (69) and Brenda Reay (60), of Heathcote Avenue, Ilford, in recognition of their successful efforts in founding and organising the East London Inventors Club, which has produced award-winning inventions and holds well-attended monthly meetings at the University of East London.

Terry and Brenda received the award from Tony Clack, founder and Managing Director of Laterlife.com, who organised the challenge, at a ceremony on Thursday 27 July at UEL Docklands campus.

Their prize, for  the ‘Spirit of the Sixties’ category, includes a commemorative silver plate, a bottle of champagne, a year’s free home and content’s insurance and a flight on the world’s largest hot air balloon at next month’s Northampton Balloon Festival!

Terry said: “The Inventors Club is our attempt to help people really achieve something with their fabulous ideas that can so easily go to waste. A lot of our members are retired, but being older doesn’t mean we’re ready for the scrapheap – it means we have a wealth of knowledge and experience that we can share with each other and pass on to younger generations.

“With UEL’s help, the Club has gone from strength to strength since launching in 2003; at last years British Invention Show our members picked up no fewer than four gold and six bronze medals. We’re now looking to move on to the next stage by opening an accessible and inexpensive workshop for all local inventors."

Terry Jennings previously worked as an electrical engineer but has created numerous inventions over the last forty years, including a unique disaster hut, currently being mass-produced by the Kashmir International Relief organisation, and a magnetic hazard warning triangle, the designs for which have been sold to the AA, RAC and British Police Force. His latest invention is a foot and toe cleaner for the elderly and those who have trouble bending.

Brenda, who worked for over 23 years as a primary school teacher in Havering, is also a keen inventor and is currently working on designs for a temperature-controlled animal transporter.

Brenda said: “It’s wonderful to have won this award. All the other winners seem to have done such amazing things - Terry and I just did what we always wanted to do. I loved my job, but I used to spend half of my evenings marking, so it’s been great to retire and concentrate more on inventing and running the club.”

Laterlife.com is a website dedicated to encouraging people to enjoy and make the most of their retirement. Other winners of the new Laterlife Challenge awards include a primary school governor from Bradford who has recently returned from a 4000-mile motorbike ride to Kiev and a 69 year-old man from Suffolk who has canoed 110 miles of rapid-strewn river in Minnesota and is currently navigating all of Britain’s waterways in a narrow-boat.

Tony Clack, founder and Managing Director of Laterlife.com, said: “Terry and Brenda are very worthy winners – in fact, they could easily have won the award in five of our six categories. By selflessly sharing their vast experience and expertise, Terry and Brenda are certainly doing their best to make exciting things possible for other inventors across the UK.” 

East London Inventors Club provides a valuable forum for like-minded inventors and business people to share experiences and gain the confidence, support and specialist guidance necessary to bring their ideas to fruition.

The Club’s next meeting will take place at UEL’s Docklands campus on Thursday 28th September. For more information, contact Terry Jennings on 020 8252 9524 or e-lite@ntlworld.com

Ends/.

For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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