A PENSIONER has become the first English person to visit a remote native American community in the US, as part of a fact-finding mission about pensioners around the world.

Shirley Ellis, of Hartlepool, helped to form the campaigning Retired Resource Network in the town, in an attempt to dispel images of elderly people as helpless and complaining.

As part of her work, Mrs Ellis, of Catcote Road, won a trip to America and Canada from the national Churchill Memorial Trust, to investigate the image of pensioners around the world.

During her eight-week tour, Mrs Ellis, 63, was invited to diverse cultural events.

She attended a Chinese banquet to celebrate the elders' moon festival in Montreal; and she chaired a meeting of the leaders of retired people in Toronto and a conference of 18 native American tribes intent on improving community welfare.

The highlight of her visit was a trip to see the Gila River Community, near Phoenix, Arizona.

Mrs Ellis was the first English person to visit the community's reservation and to learn about the improvements being made to the lives of its elders.

Mrs Ellis said: "This study tour took me on a multicultural learning experience, exchanging views, ideas and future plans, working with elders from all walks of life, different cultures, politics, creeds and lifestyles, all focused in the same direction - towards a better future for the growing population of elders.

"The most important and repeated message has been 'we can do it if we work together and care enough'.

"The visit has certainly opened up opportunities to network with our cousins across the Atlantic."

The visit was so successful that Mrs Ellis has been invited back to lecture on older people's issues next year, which is the Year of the Volunteer.

The trip was part of an extended programme devised after research conducted in Portugal and organised by Mrs Ellis