Over two years since issue number 4, the fifth issue of Your OWN News finally appears, this time prepared by the Netherlands. The abrupt end of the EU subsidy programmes for older persons meant that the activities of OWN Europe were put on a back burner for a while. Many plans had to be postponed until better times. That does not mean we have been doing nothing. Not at all. As women we have learned to deal with difficult situations inventively and creatively. As we, the board, could not meet due to a lack of funds, we made effective use of the Internet and email with the aid of our coordinator Maria Teresa Marziali. In this way we were able to stay in touch and keep each other informed.

Various attempts were made to acquire financing for our programmes. For example, we submitted a request to the Equal Opportunities Committee for the technological programme. Although we came through the first round, the request was eventually not honoured. Nor did looking for sponsors yield any results.

So we are very satisfied that on the grounds of the Social Exclusion budget line we have qualified for EU subsidy. With support from WEMOS, World Health Foundation in the Netherlands, which acts as budget holder and coordinator of the project, we have succeeded in getting the subsidy application approved for the organisation of a multifaceted conference on Older Women and Social Exclusion: issues, empowerment and action from 20 to 24 October in Egmond aan Zee (Netherlands). We hope to be able to welcome a lot of older women from many different countries there and exchange thoughts with them.

In the mean time, the constitution is ready and the composition of the board has changed. Six of the original eight interim board members are left. Gisela Kurtz has replaced Hiltrud Wessling (who had to stop for personal reasons).

A general meeting will be held immediately after the conference.

Important topics at the conference and in this Newsletter are networks and increasing one's own possibilities (empowerment). The various articles from the Netherlands but luckily from the other partner countries as well also testify to this. It is clear that exchanging experiences between older women can be used to gain ideas and methods to improve the living conditions of older women.

I would like to thank all the authors for their contributions and, in particular, the women of WWB (WOUW International Working Group), who kept on supporting OWN Europe in difficult times and who put a great deal of time and energy into the making of this OWN News.