Upcoming Tea and Tech and safer driving courses... |
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We hope you were able to get out and enjoy the beautiful warm weather this weekend. There's plenty of interesting information and events in this week's newsletter. Thank you for sharing a few moments of your day with us.
Please give us a call on 04 499 6646 or email info@acwellington.org.nz if you would like to get in touch with us.
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STAYING SAFE CLASS FOR OLDER DRIVERS |
Staying Safe is a FREE classroom-based refresher workshop for senior road users. Age Concern runs these workshops in partnership with NZTA/Waka Kotahi. They run from 10am till 2pm with refreshments provided! Registration is required. To register for a class now, click on the link below, phone us on 04 499 6646 or email events@acwellington.org.nz
Next classes: -
Wednesday 26 February, Miramar & Maupuia Community Centre
- Wednesday 6 March, Te Aro
- Wednesday 19 March, Upper Hutt Cossie Club
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TEA AND TECH – HUTT VALLEY |
Are you baffled by computers and the internet, want to learn about internet banking, or connect with family via What’s App or Facebook? Want to feel safe online? Come to our free Tea & Tech workshop! Bring your digital device and get help from friendly and understanding people. There will also be a scam prevention seminar. Refreshment included When: Thursday 13 February 2025,1:30PM
Where: Walter Nash Centre - 22 Taine St, Taita Please drop in or call 04 499 6646 for more information. |
UPPER HUTT HUB – WITH LAWYER AS SPECIAL SPEAKER |
The monthly Upper Hutt Social Connection Hub is a free social gathering for seniors where you can enjoy a light lunch and make new friends. When: Wednesday 12 February 2025, noon Where: Heretaunga Community Church, Upper Hutt Guest Speaker: Bryce Williams, Wills, Estates and Elder Law Specialist
Drop in or call 04 499 6646 for more information. |
TE POKAPŪ HAPORI COFFEE GROUP |
Join Age Concern for our free monthly coffee group for seniors: come by for some tea and coffee, and snacks, and a great speaker!
When: Thursday 27 February 2025 Where: Te Pokapū Hapori - Y Central, 107 Manners Street, Te Aro Wellington Guest Speaker: Plunket
Call 04 499 6646 or email events@acwellington.org.nz for details. |
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WE'RE HIRING! DO YOU WANT TO JOIN OUR TEAM? |
We're looking for an excellent Omai Fa'atasi Coordinator – Porirua (fixed term, 8 hours a week).
Are you an outgoing and energetic person who enjoys interacting with and supporting seniors? Then you might be the person we're looking for! We need a Coordinator for our Pasifika social connection programme in Eastern Porirua to help us continue to build networks, organise events and get alongside seniors to help them connect with others, improve their strength and mobility and have fun! Age Concern is partnering with Atamu to deliver this programme. This role is mainly based in Waitangirua and Cannons Creek, and is 8 hours per week. We're looking for someone who knows this community and is passionate about helping seniors thrive. Come and join our fun, dynamic and passionate staff team, and help us impact more people! Please visit our website for the job description and more information.
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As the Coordinator of Advanced Care Planning for Age Concern Wellington Region, Kay Webster provided a unique and special service for the people of Greater Wellington.
She was chosen in September 2022 for her ability to get alongside people and assist them to communicate their wishes for end-of-life care. In doing so she relied on her pastoral and nursing skills, but her friendly and bright personality shone through.
Kay spent the initial months of her work with ACWR establishing the standards and procedures for this new and essential service, along with presentation materials and marketing collateral and messaging.
In the more than two years since launch, she helped hundreds of people fill in their plans.
Sadly, the service was closed at the end of 2024 due to it being defunded by the Government. We were very sad to say goodbye to Kay as she finished up with Age Concern.
To learn more about Kay and the ACP service, please click here... |
STEADY AS YOU GO FALLS PREVENTION CLASSES |
Many of the Steady As You Go classes will take a break over the holidays. Please call your Peer Leader or Age Concern for details.
Check out some of our available classes... all welcome!
*NEW* Kilbirnie-Lyall Bay Community Centre, Tuesdays 1pm from 28 January *NEW* - Seatoun Village Hall, Mondays 10am
- Wainuiomata (Wainuiomata Library), Tuesdays 11am
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Newtown (Newtown Community Centre), Tuesdays noon
Upper Hutt, Te Kupenga o Rongomai/Maidstone Sports Hub, Maidstone Park, Tuesdays 11am -
Walter Nash Centre, Taitā, Tuesday 1:30pm
Thorndon (at Loaves and Fishes in the Anglican Cathedral), Fridays 1pm - Johnsonville Uniting Church, Tuesdays 1pm
Hataitai, All Saints Church, Wednesdays 12pm -
Island Bay Community Centre, Wednesdays 1.30pm
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Tawa Community Centre, Thursday 1pm
Walter Nash Centre, Taitā, Thursday 1.30pm - Whitby, St Mary's Church Hall, Fridays 11am St Mary's Church Hall
To find out more about Steady As You Go and for a full list of Steady As You Go and Aligned To Go classes around the Region, click here or call 04 499 6646.
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STEADY AS YOU GO ONLINE EXERCISE CLASSES – ALL WELCOME |
Wednesdays at 9:30am there is a livestream Steady As You Go class on Zoom. It's open to anyone - you don't need any prior experience. It is a gentle entry-level exercise class, and all you need to do is register by filling in the form online (click the blue button below). The link will be sent to you. Come and join the 20+ other seniors online for some gentle exercise fun together! |
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CAN YOU JOIN OUR REGULAR DONOR TEAM? |
Did you know that Age Concern Wellington Region is a charity? Only about a quarter of our funding comes from the Government and another quarter from local Councils. We need to raise the rest of the funding we need to keep the programmes you've just read about in this newsletter going.
We have a team of donors who contribute to our work on a regular basis. Regular donations help us budget and plan for the future. Are you able to join our regular donor team? Even $10 per month makes a real difference!
To make a regular donation using our secure website, click the button below. Select your donation frequency using the drop down menu on the form. Or you can call us if you want to make a regular payment using internet banking directly. |
Useful Tips
From phone calls and text messages saying you owe money, need to claim a parcel, or must renew an important document, to emails and letters claiming to want to give you money or urgently needing you to renew a registration of some kind, there are countless approaches out there. Sadly, it's important to be on your guard.
Some useful tips include considering requests and asking yourself how the request makes you feel. It's also important never to enter passwords on unknown sites. Even clicking on a link in a text message can be dangerous. Scammers are good at making things seem urgent, so perhaps the most useful advice we've come across is to 'pause, reflect, protect." See our latest scam prevention presentation (click here) |
Please join the Newtown Health Gala to make it even better than last year. Saturday 22 February 2025 (rain date 1 March) 10.00 am to 2.00 pm. There will be food/kai, community services, kids' games, sports and craft activities, exercise sessions for all ages and abilities, multi-cultural entertainment, giveaways and prizes. The focus is on health for the residents of Newtown Park. For more information, please contact: Jamie.Shackleton@tetoimahana.org.nz |
EMERGENCY POWER CUT – CAN YOU CONTACT 111? |
Source: Posted on January 12, 2025 by Age Concern New Zealand 'on research' If the power goes out and there is an emergency, make sure you can contact 111.
Most modern home phones require power to work - it's important you know what technology your phone uses, and that you check your family and friends understand this and are prepared.
How can I check?
To test whether your home phone will work in a power cut, turn your power off (at the mains is suggested for an absolute result, but otherwise at the wall should suffice) and see if it works.....Read the full Blog
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WREMO DISABILITY INCLUSIVE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PILOT WORKSHOPS |
Looking for participants
The Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO) Community Resilience team has been adapting a tailored personal preparedness guide and workshop made for and by disabled people.
They are now looking for people with lived experience of disability to be part of a pilot of the guide in the Wellington region to give feedback on the workshops and the guide. There is a limit of 8 people per workshop. You do not need any experience in emergency management or disaster preparedness.
Support will be made available (e.g. NZSL interpretation). If there are reasonable costs associated with attending the workshop, they can discuss this with you. Group members will be given a koha of a $50 Prezzy Card each for the 1.5-hour session as a thanks for your time and expertise. A light lunch will also be included. Wellington Pilot workshop: Friday 7th March, 10-11.30 am
2 Turnbull Street, Thorndon, Wellington (could be changed to evening by group request) Kāpiti Pilot workshop: Monday 3rd March, 10-11.30 am, Paraparaumu (place to be confirmed, time and date may be changed on agreement of the group) Next steps:
If you’re interested in joining the pilot workshop, please email Renee.santos@wremo.nz by Wednesday 12th February. |
Hutt City has a programme of Social Drama classes in three venues. The classes involve group improvisation, fun and games, and story telling to keep the mind active and creative. No lines to learn. Just come along with a sense of humour.
Starts: Tuesday 4 February. Venue: St Augustine's Church Petone - every Tuesday, 10.00 am
Te Mako, Naenae - First and third Tuesday, 1.00 pm Upper Hutt Library, Second and Fourth Tuesday, 3.30 pm
For more information contact: sallyjoanrichards@gmail.com |
There is something special about music; it brings people together from all walks of life, ages, and ethnicities. This was the view expressed by one of our staff after they attended a session with the Hutt Ukulele Orchestra recently.
The couple who are behind the orchestra are Murray and Margaret who, with their son Justin, have a family business: The Music Warehouse in Petone. They have been in the business of supplying and servicing musical instruments since 1993. The couple are obviously passionate about music and great customer service.
Margaret and Murray say the orchestra has been going for over 10 years and they now have around 80 members that meet each Thursday night at the Petone working men's club. It is a great range of people of all ages. They are keen to expand the number of musicians by teaching them to play the ukulele and will visit other organisations if they are interested.
See more about them on Facebook (click here)... |
SUPERGOLD INFORMATION HUB |
The SuperGold team has established the SuperGold Information Hub, a new digital platform that makes it easier for SuperGold Cardholders to access information on key support and services for seniors.
By offering a wider range of information as well as the savings on everyday essentials, the Hub aims to transform SuperGold into a more comprehensive and valuable resource.
To help improve the Hub over time, the SuperGold team welcomes feedback. Your input will help tailor the platform to better serve your needs, with future updates bringing more features and improvements.
Click here to access the hub: SuperGold Information Hub |
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IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS AND CONTACTS
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- For
emergencies dial 111
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For non-emergency police matters dial 105
- If you are feeling anxious or just
need someone to talk to call or text 1737
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Age Concern Wellington Region 04 499 6646 info@acwellington.org.nz
Alcohol Drug Helpline (open 24/7) - 0800 787 797. You can also text 8691 for free
ASB Bank Senior Priority Direct Line 0800 272 119 Continence NZ Helpline 0800 650 659 -
Dementia Resources https://www.harrislist.co.nz/
Dementia Wellington 04 972 2595 - Depression Helpline (open 24/7) - 0800 111 757
Elder Abuse Wellington Helpline 04 805 0880
Entitlements: MSD Senior Services line 0800 552 002 Financial dispute resolution services: Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman: info@ifso.nz Financial Services Complaints 0800 347 257 complaints Financial Dispute Resolution Service 0508 337 337 enquiries@fdrs.org.nz
Banking Ombudsman Scheme 0800 805 950 help@bankomb.org.nz Greater Wellington Regional Council http://www.gw.govt.nz/ -
Healthline (open 24/7) - 0800 611 116
Hutt City Council: huttcity.govt.nz/ or 04 570 6666
Kapiti Coast District Council: https://www.kapiticoast.govt.nz
Lifeline: qualified counsellors and trained volunteers: 0800 543 354 or free text 4357
Mental Health Foundation's free Resource and Information Service: 09 623 4812
Porirua City Council: poriruacity.govt.nz/ or 04 237 5089
Samaritans: confidential support, empathetic listeners: 0800 726 666 -
Suicide Crisis Helpline (open 24/7) - 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
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Upper Hutt City Council: upperhuttcity.com/ or 04 527 2169
- WellElder: a counselling service for older people, or those supporting an older person. Wellington Region: 04 380 2440 (Tuesday - Thursday)
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Wellington City Council: wellington.govt.nz or 04 499 4444
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THANK YOU LOTTERIES FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT |
We really appreciate the support of Lotteries who have provided us with funding for our mahi with seniors. Thank you! |
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Age Concern Wellington Region is a registered charity. We are part of a wider network of more than 30 Age Concerns located across the country.
Visit our website to find out more about our work around the Wellington Region and how you can be involved
www.acwellington.org.nz
© Age Concern Wellington Region Trust
Charities # CC61759 |
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