Liz Sampson is a Professor of Liaison Psychiatry and Clinical Academic specialising in dementia and delirium. With other colleagues, Liz will be running in this year’s Hackney Half in aid of Barts Charity!
In 2023, Liz, alongside other experts in the field, established the Academic Centre for Healthy Ageing (ACHA).
Liz also has a personal connection to Barts Health, having been treated for rheumatoid arthritis since she was 14 years old. This connection fuels her passion to give back to the community that has supported her for so many years.
Giving back to Barts Charity
To say a big thank you for all the support the team has received, the ACHA team are running in this year’s Hackney Half – all to raise vital funds for Barts Charity. Liz is a local to Hackney and has run the half marathon for the past few years. When she mentioned running as a team for Barts Charity, the idea quickly gained momentum amongst her colleagues.
Liz explains: “We were just talking in the office one day and suddenly had the idea that it would be good fun to do it for Barts Charity, because of the incredible funding we’ve received for the new centre. It grew from there.”
Team building through training
Training for the half marathon has been a great way for the ACHA crew to bond as a team. It’s helped colleagues who have come from further afield to get to know the East London area.
“It’s been really good team building for us because we’re a new team coming together. We’ve got a WhatsApp group where we post our long runs every Sunday, our training and things like that. Adam and Simon both live in the Midlands, and it’s given them a chance to get to know the area.”
Liz is a keen runner and has taken part in lots of running events over the years.
Helping older people to live longer, healthier lives
The Academic Centre for Healthy Ageing (ACHA) is a pioneering initiative funded by Barts Charity, aimed at improving the health and well-being of older adults in East London. Located at Whipps Cross Hospital, ACHA brings together leading experts from Barts Health and Queen Mary University of London to collaborate on innovative research and practical solutions for age-related health issues.
Liz and the team work closely with ACHA’s People and Patient Involvement and Engagement group, which is made up of community members with lived experience of age-related issues. They will be instrumental in advising ACHA’s initiatives.
“They will they put us right in terms of any misperceptions that people might have about East London – they will sit down with managers and be very honest with them about the services that are being received and what needs to improve. Their job is to challenge us and make sure that we keep our feet on the ground, and that what we’re doing is actually helpful to them and the community.”
“We wanted to fundraise for Barts Charity because ACHA is unique. There’s nowhere else we can think of that combines this type and size of funding. I think that Barts Charity has a strong vision. We are now living longer, but longer with worse health. I think it’s a really bold move for the charity to support ageing research in North East London.”Liz Sampson
Fundraising events
Has Liz inspired you to fundraise? See our list of events here