‘Seniors Festival’, October, 2018—Page 25
Page 26—‘Seniors Festival’, October, 2018
2018 Victorian Seniors Festival — Get Social including concerts, dance, lms, celebratory morning teas, tours, learning opportunities and more.
The 36th Victorian Seniors Festival will take place throughout October, with events happening across the state in all cities and towns. The 2018 festival has the theme Get Social, which is aimed at encouraging seniors to get out and about in their local community. The month-long celebration offers more than 2000 occasions for fun, excitement and the chance to try something new or different in a friendly atmosphere at little or no cost.
Organisers welcome all people — regardless of background, experience or mobility — to get involved. The festival not only celebrates the huge contribution older Victorians make to the communities they live in, but also helps to create an inclusive Victoria for those aged 60 years and above and provides a range of activities to keep seniors healthy and active.
The program of events has something to offer everyone
See the full list of local events at the end of this feature or visit www.seniorsonline.vic.gov.au
Free travel for seniors Seniors Card holders will be able to travel free throughout the rst week of the Seniors Festival.
You can depend on us NOW COMPOUNDING IN SHEPPARTON Omeprazole Suspension (Cherry Flavour), Melatonin Suspension (Cherry Flavour), Boric Acid Capsules, selected creams and ointments
Come in and see our wide range of services including: • Blood Pressure Monitoring • Vaccinations • Medscheck
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• Home Medicine Review • TAC claiming • NDSS
FREE packing of medications and
fortnightly deliveries of Dose Administration Aids (DAA)/Blister Packs
(03) 5821 0580 Shop 14 / 310 High Street, Shepparton (Corner of Archer & High Street) Mon!–!Fri: 8:30!–!6pm Sat: 8:30!–!3:00pm Sundays & Public Holidays: Closed
Waiving ticket prices and fees will mean each and every senior can travel throughout the state to take in the rst week of the Victorian Seniors Festival and enjoy a host of events. For travel in regional services, simply show your Victorian Seniors Card to the conductor or bus driver to receive your free travel. For travel in metropolitan Melbourne, carry a Seniors Myki and Victorian Seniors Card on public transport.
Users can touch on and off as usual but will not be charged for trips undertaken between October 7 and October 14. Travel on all Melbourne trains, trams and buses, as well as regional trains, coaches and buses, including regional town bus services, will remain free throughout the week. However, if travelling on V/Line services, be sure to book early and reserve your seat on long-distance V/Line trains and coaches in economy class. Some private bus operators and airport services are excluded. Visit www.ptv.vic.gov.au for more information.
‘Seniors Festival’, October, 2018—Page 27
CWA to celebrate a milestone The Country Women’s Association is a longstanding Australian institution and this year the Victorian chapter marks its 90th anniversary.
centres, rollover bars on tractors and the crackdown on single-use plastic bags.
Like her mother before her, and her mother before her, Gwenda Metzke became a CWA member.
Eastern Goulburn Valley CWA treasurer Margaret Guppy has been a part of the CWA for a quarter of a century.
“I was going to CWA meetings from the minute I was born and of course afternoon tea was the best part when I was young,” Gwenda said.
Bev said for CWA members, delving into these issues was eye opening, while they also focused on fundraising efforts to donate locally.
Alongside the area’s eight branches, including a night branch ideal for working
women, Margaret said over the past year they had introduced a junior branch for seven to 18-year-olds.
“They were one of the rst four branches to open in Victoria 90 years ago,” Gwenda said.
She said it was great to watch members hand down skills like knitting to the younger generation while they learn a lot themselves.
“It will be showcasing all our branches, what we’ve done over the years and our history as well as hopefully some of our future.”
To celebrate the CWA’s 90th birthday, the organisation is hosting an open day at Katandra West — a branch that has been around since the very beginning.
The open day and lunch will be held at the Katandra West Community Centre on Thursday, November 1 from 10 am to 4 pm.
“It was something you did, you knew that CWA was there to do its good deeds and it was just part of growing up.” Forty years on Gwenda is now Eastern Goulburn Valley CWA president and said she had gained a lot from the group. “What we learn as people is wonderful, you grow and I’ve just found I can do things that I never ever thought I could do because I have CWA behind me.” While the organisation is steeped in tradition, Gwenda said it had also evolved. “When I started it was very strict, the meetings were run exactly every month, you didn’t break the protocol, but now we go and have fun at our meetings,” she said. Bev Wall was living in the Mallee when she joined the CWA 12 years ago and is now the Victorian vice-president. “I joined for friendship and to help fellow women in remote areas,” Bev said. “Friendship is the big thing and helping people in your own community and then helping wherever you’re needed.” Since its humble beginnings, Bev said CWA Victoria had grown to a point where it could lobby the State Government. The CWA stood up and backed same sex marriage and has played a pivotal role in many important issues, including the introduction of infant welfare
(From left) Eastern Goulburn Valley CWA treasurer Margaret Guppy, Eastern Goulburn Valley CWA president Gwenda Metzke and Victorian CWA vice-president Bev Wall are getting ready to celebrate the Country Women’s Association’s 90th birthday.
INDEPENDENT MEMBER FOR SHEPPARTON DISTRICT
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Funded from Parliament’s Electorate Office and Communications budget. Authorised by: Suzanna Sheed, 5 Vaughan Street, Shepparton VIC 3630.
Page 28—‘Seniors Festival’, October, 2018
You’re never too old to join the gym As you follow the laughter down the halls of Aquamoves, it’s hard to believe it’s coming from an exercise class. Yet at the gym’s over 60s tness class, there’s no shortage of fun occurring. It’s the supportive group environment that draws Shepparton’s Reg Wells back each and every week. After being encouraged by his son and daughter to get into the gym 13 years ago, the 77-year-old said he had been going ever since. “Sometimes you wake up and you gotta get out of bed, and you’re dragging your feet. By the time you get to the gym and nish up the class, you’re bouncing around,” Mr Wells said. “The fun means you have an excuse to come to the gym.” It’s a feeling shared by many participants in the class. For 72-year-old Lesley Eccles, the group tness classes help to add routine to her life, always giving her something to look forward to. Having been attending the classes for 15 years, she said the friendships have kept things fun and makes working out more enjoyable.
It’s been a long transformation for the group tness class, which has grown over recent years, much to the delight of over 60s group tness instructor Lyn Davidson. “We started off with one group class and one water class, with four people in the class, and it’s gradually built up and built up,” Ms Davidson said. “Exercise is just incredible; it makes you well, makes you strong and clears your head.”
it’s just wonderful, there are so many lovely people.” It’s a sentiment echoed by 63-year-old Trish Flanagan, who joined the classes to keep her high cholesterol under control and has reaped the bene ts throughout the years. “It was actually a push from the doctor (that got me to join), they said you have to
be doing something every day,” she said. Now attending classes twice a week and playing tennis every week, the grandmother said her grandchildren provided additional encouragement. “Well that was the other motivation — keeping up with them!” she said.
She said the program had been incredibly bene cial. “Group tness is one of the best things ever invented I think, it’s particularly successful for women. “The people are just so motivated; great, great people.” Outside of fostering friendships, the group tness class also allows participants to take control of their health and improve their general wellbeing. It’s something 62-year-old Kerry Bellamy has been focusing on throughout her eight-year attendance at the classes. She said as the years had gone by, she had started to notice things more. “Once you get a little older you become more aware of your health,” she said. “It’s all about just getting healthier and making some nice friendships … socially
With classes from body balance and pump to circuit and step, the tness classes offer plenty of variety.
Over 60 and want to get ac tive ? Aquamoves Over 60s Memberships are heavily discounted, starting from $22.95 a fortnight! Plus during October, Aquamoves is waiving the $50 joining fee! Over 60s Group Fitness Classes Day
Time
Class
Mon
10.15am
Over 60s Circuit
Mon
11.15am
Over 60s Body Balance
Tues
10.15am
Over 60s TONE
Wed
10.15 am
Over 60s Body Pump
Fri
10.00am
Over 60s TONE
FREE access to Over 60s classes in October for non-Members
Attend as many as you like!
As an Over 60s Aquamoves Member you’ll also enjoy: y: • • • •
Access to the gym, pools, spas, sauna, hydrotherapy pool and group fitness classes Regular consultations with a fitness instructor to discuss your goals, receive your personalised program and get ongoing support No lock-in contract so you can cancel at any time without a fee Unlimited suspension – so you won’t pay when you go on holiday
*Terms and conditions apply.
Visit www.aquamoves.com.au for more details.
Aquamoves is proudly provided by Greater Shepparton City Council.
‘Seniors Festival’, October, 2018—Page 29
Fun is as important as tness When 86-year-old Pat Commons had triple bypass heart surgery almost 20 years ago, she knew it was time to get back into the gym. After recovering from surgery and getting back on her feet, it wasn’t long until the Lemnos local marched into Aquamoves to get her tness back on track. “I came in and said ‘Okay, what do you have for old people?’,” she recalls. After attending a number of classes — including circuit, step, pump and body balance — for 12 years, her back began to ache and give way, but it didn’t stop her from turning up each week. “I did the bikes and came to (indoor cycling class) RPM, because they make you work and stand up and sweat,” she said. “But it’s been good and nothing hurts, it doesn’t hurt throughout and I’ve been on the bike ever since.”
While Mrs Common enjoys the health bene ts she gets from exercise, a large part of her motivation comes from the other people who join her in class each week. “We laugh, tell jokes and go out for a coffee or lunch; it’s very, very social. We have a lot of fun,” she said. “It just makes you get out of bed. “It’s one of the best things you can do; it’s just super … It becomes the centre of your life.”
Top right: The classes are not just about tness, but also fun for Reg Wells, Lesley Eccles, Pat Commons and Trish Flanagan. Bottom right: The exercise bike is a personal favourite of Pat Commons, 86, and Reg Wells, 77.
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Page 30—‘Seniors Festival’, October, 2018
Happy to join the festival With a number of free events on throughout the Seniors Festival, Harmony Villages residents are looking forward to celebrating their region with their fellow seniors. With residents attending a number of events including a cultural bus trip, a silo art tour held by the Dookie Lions Club and a cruise down the Murray River, there’s no shortage of events to enjoy throughout the festival. Harmony Villages independent living units co-ordinator Jessica Petreski said the residents looked forward to the festival. With independent living unit residents attending the Seniors Festival activities for a number of years now, Ms Petreski said the events offered a great insight into the community and encouraged people to come together. “It’s a wonderful experience each and every year, the events are well organised and attended in numbers, quite often if you don’t get in early with your bookings, they can’t guarantee a spot.” She said the cultural bus trip was a favourite among residents, and last year’s event — which visited Rumbalara, the Turkish Islamic and Cultural Centre and Mosque in Mooroopna and the Shepparton Afghani Community Mosque — left residents with a better understanding of religion and culture.
Ultimately, the event is an important celebration of Shepparton seniors. “Here in Shepparton we have a large ageing population and it’s simply a nice way to acknowledge their service and Harmony Villages independent living unit residents will be attending a number of events throughout this year’s Seniors Festival.
commitment to this town,” Ms Petreski said. “Throughout the years, I can gladly say that almost all of my independent living unit residents have volunteered with
numerous organisations and are pillars of our society. “They have lived in the GV region their whole lives and are Shepparton-proud.”
‘Seniors Festival’, October, 2018—Page 31
Home care assistance a ‘godsend’ It is hard to believe anyone could be grateful for having a stroke. But Colleen Fagan is. Without it, she would never have learned about Home Care Packages (HCPs), which have allowed Colleen and her mother, Lorna, to remain living together in their home. HCPs are government-funded packages of care services designed to help older people remain living at home for longer. Lorna is 95. Although ercely independent and in relatively good health, her age has slowed her down. She relies on her daughter Colleen, 63, as her full-time carer. It’s a role Colleen has embraced — although it elicited much fear when she suffered a stroke two years ago. “I was really worried because Mum couldn’t have lived here on her own and of course she doesn’t want to go into aged care,” Colleen said. A local nurse told the mother and daughter about non-pro t organisation Villa Maria Catholic Homes (VMCH), which provides 1300 HCPs to older people across Victoria. “I thank god for the stroke to be honest, because otherwise we never would have
found out about the help available. It’s a godsend,” Colleen said. Lorna is on a level three HCP and receives support with meals, home maintenance and gardening, taxi and fuel cards, occupational therapy and equipment.
“I thank god for the stroke to be honest, because otherwise we never would have found out about the help available. It’s a godsend.” Colleen Fagan
“The package took all the stress and worry away from me … I couldn’t speak highly enough of it,” Lorna said. If you would like more information on VMCH Home Care Packages, phone 1300 650 615. For mother and daughter Lorna and Colleen Fagan, the help of a Home Care Package through Villa Maria Catholic Homes means they can continue living at home.
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Page 32—‘Seniors Festival’, October, 2018
Greater Shepparton Seniors Festival program
Pick up a festival program Free festival programs are available from Coles supermarkets, local libraries, neighbourhood houses and council of ces. Alternatively, phone 1300 135 090 to have a program mailed to you or view the program online at www.seniorsonline.vic.gov.au
Come and try badminton Come and try croquet Saturday, October 6, 1 pm to 3.30 pm. A social event with gentle exercise for all ages, afternoon tea included. Where: Mooroopna Croquet Club, 13 Echuca Rd, Mooroopna. Cost: Free. Further information: Phone Helen on 5825 4541.
Living longer, living stronger Monday, October 8, 10 am to 11 am. Tatura Absolute Training Studio Gym is providing a ‘living longer living stronger’ strength-training program in a fun environment with music and movement, with the option of training in a fully equipped gym or in the tness circuit room under the watchful eye of a personal trainer. Where: 68 Casey St, Tatura. Cost: $5 which includes tea, coffee, juice and fruit. Bookings required: Phone Lisa Niglia on 0428 266 310.
Seniors trivia Tuesday, October 9, 1.30 pm to 3 pm. Get set for some fun at the annual seniors trivia afternoon and enjoy a delicious Devonshire tea. Once again the trivia cup is up for grabs, so bring along some friends or join a table. Where: Tatura Community House, 12–16 Casey St, Tatura. Cost: $3 which includes Devonshire tea. Bookings required: Phone Leeane at Tatura Community House on 5824 1315.
Wednesday, October 10, 9 am to noon. You may want to learn to play badminton for the rst time, reconnect with the game, or simply have a hit — no matter what experience you have, everyone is welcome. All you need to do is turn up wearing suitable clothing, non-slip white-soled runners and bring with you a spirit of adventure — racquets will be provided. This event is presented by Shepparton Badminton Association. Where: Shepparton Sports Stadium, 120 Numurkah Rd, Shepparton. Cost: Free. Further information: Phone John on 5826 9557.
Greater Shepparton LGBTI Elders Dance Club
Sunday, October 14, 1.30 pm to 3 pm. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex elders and their allies are invited to attend this free monthly social event, learn new dances, enjoy delicious catering and drinks, and interact with other LGBTI elders and allies. No dance experience is required and all are welcome to attend. Afternoon tea included. This event is presented by Greater Shepparton City Council. Where: Shepparton Senior Citizens Centre Hall, 120–132 Welsford St. Cost: Free. Further information: Phone Jason on 5832 9725.
Me ‘n me mates
Monday, October 15, 1 pm to 3 pm. In the tradition of Henry Lawson, Banjo Paterson and Slim Dusty, Me ‘n me mates will feature well known traditional and country songs and bring a contemporary approach to traditional material. Where: Eastbank, 70 Welsford St, Shepparton. Cost: Free. Further information: Phone 5832 9511.