About Melrose
Dr Melrose Stewart MBE is a health and well-being enthusiast with a specific focus on the challenges of ageing. She received an MBE in 2020 for services to physiotherapy. As one of the experts on the multi award-winning Channel 4 TV documentary “Old Peoples’ home for 4 Year Olds”, she sees the adoption of intergenerational activities as an effective and enjoyable way of overcoming some of the mental and physical problems associated with it.
Melrose believes that, given that we all age, it is not something to be feared, denied or covered up, especially when pressures from friends, family, media and society are pushing us to think otherwise. Her mission is also to counteract the negative stereotypes and rhetoric surrounding getting old.
In addition, Melrose sees the fight for equity and justice as a fundamental part of her activities. She was founder member of the BAME Network of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and is a current member of Her Majesty’s Judiciary s in Employment and Disability Appeals and Personal Independent Payment Tribunals.
A member of...
Talks, TV & Media
Guida Gallatica – Podcast interview – A few insights into my life
‘Our Health is Our Wealth’
Health Matters 6 – Race and Physiotherapy with Dr Melrose Stewart MBE
Review of the morning papers with Vanessa Feltz
Speaking of dementia and obesity in conversation with Vanessa Feltz, BBC Radio London
Black excellence Achievers: Interview with Melrose Stewart
Melrose Stewart tells her story of the NHS and the Windrush contribution
Fireside chat with Karen Leach and Dr Melrose Stewart
Revolutionising connections between the old and the young Thrive 2020 Guernsey
Connecting Generations for Healthy Ageing – TEDx Talk
NHS at 70
| Title | Date | Society |
|---|---|---|
| Intergenerational Connections and Hope | 15 September 2021 | Home Care Expo |
| Are we more lonely? | 13 September 2021 | Leeds International Festival of ideas 2021 |
| Inspiring intergenerational connections post COVID-19 | 9th July 2021 | The Royal Society |
| Experiences of a Windrush Physiotherapist | 24th June 2021 | The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy |
| The ties that bind in intergenerational connections | 26th March 2021 | NEACO East Coast College |
| Why we should consider racism in Primary Care | 6th October 2020 | BESS 2020 International scientific meeting |
| Race and Health Equity | 19th August 2020 | BESS 2020 International scientific meeting |
| Degree Awarding Gaps: What can we do? | 27th October 2020 | University of Birmingham |
| Understanding the benefits of intergenerational working | 18th June 2020 | Elevate - the arena of physical activity, health and performance |
| The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on our BaME colleague | 7th May 2020 | National Allied Health Professionals webinar |
| When generations age together | 9th March 2020 | Panel Croft |
| Intergenerational Connections and Hope | 17th /18th March 2020 | Home Care Expo |
| Raising expectations in intergenerational interventions – Should we? | 27TH February & 4th March 2020 | CACHE |
Blog
Golliwogs, Blackface, and Watermelon Smiles
Golliwogs, Blackface, and Watermelon Smiles The recent disclosure of England batsman, Alex Hales, blackening his face to attend a New Year’s Eve fancy dress party in 2009, Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister, describing Black people as having ‘watermelon smiles’, and golliwogs being constantly described on social media as favourite childhood toys, are all strong indications […]
My Jamaica, My Scotland – A Journey of Discovery
My Jamaica, My Scotland – A Journey of Discovery “I was born in Jamaica but made on three continents – Africa, the Americas, and Europe.” Never have these words been as true as in my case. I have always been intrigued how, as a black Jamaican-born woman, I became endowed with a name so strongly […]
Old, senior, elder – Are you referring to me?
I am an “older person”, but older than whom? Older than everyone younger than me, of course! We know that when we are we are talking about older people, we are indeed talking about old people. So why refrain from saying ‘old’ when we readily use ‘young’ to mean the opposite? Put simply, it is […]
Constructing intergenerational connections – and then came COVID-19!
Constructing intergenerational connections – and then came COVID-19! Since the airing of the multi-award-winning, Channel 4 TV series Old Peoples Home for 4 year Olds (OPH4YO) in 2017, I have been overwhelmed by the growth and interest in developing intergenerational (IG) activities. OPH4YO was a social experiment that brought old people and young children together […]
Let the Old Die? – A Point of view
Let the Old Die? – A Point of View Suggesting culling the elderly at a time of financial or other crisis now seems an assured route to notoriety for someone seeking attention in the media or elsewhere. So, it is no surprise that this suggestion has again reared its ugly head in the current Coronavirus […]
Reconciling Honour against the Atrocities of Empire
The offer of the award of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) triggered feelings of both honour and discontent at the historical abuse of nations dispensed by the British Empire. I recognise and acknowledge similar conflicts expressed by fellow descendants of the empire. David Olusoga writes of ‘links to the systematic domination, […]
Taking advantage of the benefits of ageing
Taking advantage of the benefits of ageing Healthy ageing does not usually depend on having a lot of money, but every little bit helps. Therefore, I continue to be alarmed at the number of people of pensionable age who are completely unaware of the social security benefits to which they are entitled. Equally troubling is […]
Ageing in the Diaspora
Ageing in the Diaspora This blog explores ageing in the diaspora mainly from a personal perspective. However, it could be typical of the many individuals who have relocated from the place of their birth to live in the UK. General ageing and diasporans in the UK The World Health Organisation projects that by 2050, the […]
What are we saying about being fat?
Tuesday 06 August was not only the 57th Anniversary of Jamaica’s political independence from the UK – with all that portends – but also my very first opportunity to review the newspapers on BBC Radio London with Vanessa Feltz. As fortune would have it, two headliners that day were just up my street: first, the…
The Conversation – What happened when we introduced four-year-olds to an old people’s home
Lying on the floor pretending to roar like a lion can do wonders for an elderly man’s well-being. That’s not a scientific fact, but it was one of the surprising and memorable moments we observed while making a television program which introduced a group of very young people with residents of a retirement village…
Will the NHS long-term plan actually change health inequalities for BAME communities?
Dr Melrose Stewart writes that the NHS long-term plan is far from revolutionary when it comes to addressing healthcare inequalities. When evaluating a “new” initiative such as the NHS long-term plan, it is natural to ask what is in it for the constituencies of which one is a member or have extensive direct involvement with…
Imagine an NHS without the Windrush Generation
The growth and development of the NHS is inextricably linked with the journey and experiences of the Windrush Generation and similar migrants Like thousands of other people arriving from the Caribbean who followed the call to come to the ‘Motherland’ to build Britain’s public services, my mother and father left everything and everyone they loved…