Local Bushcarers, Northern Beaches Council and National Parks gathered this week to honour Lisa Atkins, whose remarkable commitment to bush regeneration has helped transform the landscapes of the Western Foreshores over the past 40 years.
Lisa’s quiet determination and four decades of volunteer work have restored significant areas of native habitat in what was once a heavily weed-infested environment. Her efforts, carried out with little fanfare but unwavering dedication, have inspired a generation of bushcarers and left an enduring impact on the local environment.
Left to Right: Bettina Tuerk-Rochl – National Parks and Wildlife, Lisa Atkins, Michael Kneipp & Georgia Williams – Bushcare Team: Northern Beaches Council.
Hosted by Rocky Point Bushcare, the gathering at Lovett Bay Beach was attended by representatives from National Parks and Wildlife, Northern Beaches Council, Morning Bay Bushcare and Elvina Bay Bushcare, all of whom came together to express their gratitude. Messages messages of praise, thanks, and best wishes also came from South West Lovett Bay Coastcare and the budding North Elvina Bushcare.
Bettina Tuerk-Rochl (National Parks and Wildlife) praised Lisa’s long-standing leadership and deep knowledge of the local ecosystem, while Michael Kneipp, (NB Council), recalled just how overgrown the area once was with lantana before Lisa’s intervention.
“She didn’t just pull out weeds,” Michael said. “She created space for native species to return — for the forest to breathe again.”
“Lisa also created the local belief that “No offshore event is complete without a cup of tea and something to eat’ — and always made sure we had both. Her warmth and presence at every possible occasion has made bushcare feel like special community.”
In recognition of her service, Lisa was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation, a bouquet of native flowers, Burrawang seedlings to plant in her own time, and a custom-engraved thermos — a nod to her reputation for never arriving at a bushcare day without a strong brew and something tasty to share.
Newly Engraved Rocky Point Thermos
Could the copper in your diet help prevent memory loss, as new study suggests?
More and more research suggests that the copper in your diet could play a bigger role in brain health than we once believed. A recent study found that older Americans who ate more copper-rich foods did better on memory and concentration tests.
The findings, published in Nature Scientific Reports, looked at people’s diets using detailed food diaries and tested their cognitive function. Those who ate more foods that were high in copper – which include shellfish, dark chocolate and nuts – did better on tests that are used to spot early signs of age-related memory loss and dementia.
But the results aren’t straightforward. People who ate more copper-rich foods were mostly male, white, married and had higher incomes. They were also less likely to smoke or have high blood pressure or diabetes – all factors linked to a lower risk of dementia. People who consumed more copper also had more zinc, iron and selenium in their diets, and consumed more calories overall.
People with higher incomes often have better access to healthy food, medical care, cleaner environments and more education – all of which help protect against memory loss and dementia.
It’s hard to separate the effects of diet from these other advantages, although some research we reviewed suggests that improving nutrition might be especially helpful for people from less privileged backgrounds.
What other research tells us
The current study’s limitations are notable. It captured brain function at only one point in time and relied on participants’ food diaries rather than blood measurements of copper levels.
However, long-term studies support the idea that copper might matter for brain health. One study that tracked people over time found that those who had less copper in their diet showed more pronounced declines in memory and thinking.
More intriguingly, when researchers measured copper levels directly in brain tissue, they discovered that higher concentrations were associated with slower mental deterioration and fewer of the toxic amyloid plaques characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.
Curiously, brain copper levels bore little relationship to dietary intake, suggesting the body’s processing of this mineral is more complex than simple consumption patterns might indicate.
There’s a good biological explanation for why copper might help protect the brain. This essential metal plays several important roles: it helps prevent brain cell damage via antioxidant effects, with production of the chemicals (neurotransmitters) that let brain cells talk to each other, and helps the brain produce energy, by working via particular enzymes.
Copper deficiency is thought to be relatively uncommon, but it can cause noticeable problems. If someone feels tired and weak and has anaemia that doesn’t improve with iron or vitamin B12 supplements, low copper might be to blame. Other signs can include getting sick more often, losing bone strength, and nerve damage that gets worse over time.
Copper is naturally found in high amounts in foods like beef, offal, shellfish, nuts, seeds and mushrooms. It’s also added to some cereals and found in whole grains and dark chocolate.
People who have had gastric bypass surgery for obesity or have bowel disorders may have trouble absorbing copper – and these conditions themselves could be linked to a higher risk of dementia.
It’s best to be cautious about taking copper supplements without careful thought. They body needs a delicate balance of essential minerals – too much iron or zinc can lower copper levels, while too much copper or iron can cause oxidative stress, which may speed up damage to brain cells.
Studies examining mineral supplements in people already diagnosed with Alzheimer’s have shown little benefit.
Paradoxically, people with Alzheimer’s often have higher copper levels in their blood, but key brain areas like the hippocampus – which is vital for memory – often show lower copper levels. This suggests that Alzheimer’s disrupts how the body handles copper, causing it to get trapped in the amyloid plaques that are a hallmark of the disease.
Some researchers suggested that after Alzheimer’s develops, eating less copper and iron and more omega-3 fats from fish and nuts might help, while saturated fats seem to make things worse. However, a lack of copper could actually increase plaque build-up before dementia shows up, highlighting the need for balanced nutrition throughout life.
There seems to be an optimal range of copper for brain function – recent studies suggest 1.22 to 1.65 milligrams a day provides copper’s cognitive benefits without causing harm. This mirrors a broader principle in medicine: for many biological systems, including thyroid hormones, both deficiency and excess can impair brain function.
The human body typically manages these intricate chemical balances with remarkable precision. But disease and ageing can disrupt this equilibrium, potentially setting the stage for cognitive decline years before symptoms emerge. As researchers continue to unravel the relationship between nutrition and brain health, copper’s role serves as a reminder that the path to healthy ageing may be paved with the careful choices we make at every meal.
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The Belong Club invites anyone to come and participate in the Belong Club Walking Group!
Every Tuesday we walk along the pathway beside the Narrabeen Lagoon, from the Tramshed Arts and Community Centre to Jamieson Park and back. The route is about 1.8km each way, and is estimated to take 45 minutes.
The up and back walk allows for people of any walking speed to participate and enjoy the walk at their own comfortable pace. Walkers often split into smaller groups naturally along the route allowing everyone to go at their preferred pace. The aim here is for everyone to be included and to have an enjoyable walk.
Our meeting spot is to the right of the Tramshed Community Centre, between the basketball court and kids playground.
Australia’s 48th parliament has a record 112 women members. Ten of those women are independents.
As they take their seats in the chamber, they’ll be realising the aspirations of some of Australia’s first suffragists who, more than a century ago, staunchly supported independent representation, but failed to gain traction at the ballot box.
Our earliest female political aspirants, Catherine Spence in Adelaide, Rose Scott in Sydney and Vida Goldstein in Melbourne, eschewed party politics, believing significant social issues should transcend political boundaries.
Recent close contests in the electorates of Bradfield and the eponymous Goldstein echoed the challenges of female independent candidates across time.
Australia’ first female candidate
Spence had been declined preselection for the nascent Labor Party in 1896. This was when women in South Australia, including Aboriginal women, became the first in Australia to have the right not only to vote, but also to stand for parliament.
Spence believed issues of social justice and electoral reform should override party allegiance.
The following year, Spence nominated for the federal convention to draft a Constitution for the new Australian parliament. Her strongest commitment was to proportional voting based on the Hare system of the single transferable vote, which was ultimately introduced to the Australian Senate in 1948. Spence believed this was the fairest electoral system to give voice to minority concerns.
She was the only woman to nominate. Although not elected, she won her place in history as Australia’s first female political candidate.
Acknowledging her defeat, Spence reflected:
I stood or fell on a question which both parties thought it expedient to ignore […] I look on my position in the poll as very satisfactory.
Similarly, Goldstein, the first woman to stand for Australia’s federal parliament in 1903, viewed her loss as “virtually a victory”. She explained to her supporters:
I stood as a protest against press domination and the creation of the vicious system of machine politics. I had the prejudice of ages to fight, and yet I secured more than half of the votes of the candidate heading the polls.
Although she did not stand for office, she brought together politicians across the divide with people of influence from the judiciary, publishing and the arts at her Friday evening salons.
Despite her privileged background and private income, Scott’s political leanings were towards socialism.
For more than 20 years she corresponded regularly with both Spence and Goldstein. Their extant letters reveal shared concerns for equal pay and education for women and child welfare.
Significant NSW legislation was reputedly drafted on Scott’s rosewood dining table. She remained staunchly opposed to party politics, scrawling her endorsement across a copy of The Inebriates Act 1900 “non-party and non-sectarian”.
Scott joined Goldstein on the hustings and furnished letters of support in Goldstein’s campaign pamphlets.
Spence, however, recalling the bitter lesson of her own candidature, wrote:
I am not at all sure that Vida Goldstein is wise in standing for the Senate. Women do not vote as women for women.
Successive, but unsuccessful attempts
Like Spence, Goldstein was hampered by misinformation, with questions asked about her eligibility to stand for parliament. Both lacked the financial support available to their opponents backed by party organisations.
Goldstein was attacked in the conservative press for her views on home and marriage. Comments on her dress and appearance trivialised reporting of her political message. Labor newspapers proclaimed that support for Goldstein would split the vote and result in a defeat of Labor’s candidates.
Vida Goldstein tried to enter politics numerous times, but faced many obstacles.Museums Vcitoria
Spence escaped similar attention because she was short, stout and in her seventies when she campaigned.
Goldstein nominated for the Senate again in 1910, campaigning for equal pay and federal reform of marriage and divorce laws.
Although she polled higher than in 1903, her campaign was hampered by lack of funds and negative press coverage.
Party politics had become more polarised. Many women were now actively joining the Labor Party or supporting the conservative Australian Women’s National League.
Between 1910 and her final tilt for the Senate in 1917, Goldstein stood twice for the seat of Kooyong, currently held for a second term by independent MP Monique Ryan.
Goldstein stood as a progressive independent for Kooyong in 1912. Labor did not field a candidate. She polled around half the votes of her male opponent. She stood again in 1915, remaining frank and uncompromising on her independent status:
as a non-party candidate I had difficulties to face that confronted no other candidate. The non-party candidate does not get the support of the party press. And the other special prejudice I have to fight is that of sex.
While their work towards women’s suffrage is acknowledged, the broader social and political contributions of our early feminists are often overlooked. When the right to vote still seemed unobtainable, they were lobbying for fairer divorce, child welfare, prevention of domestic violence and equal pay. Political representation seemed a step too far.
“None of these women could have imagined a Julia Gillard. It would have made their heads spin to think that a woman could be prime minister,” says historian Clare Wright.
An Australian parliament with majority of cabinet positions held by women, with women leading both the opposition in the House of Representatives and the government in the Senate, would leave them stunned, but triumphant.
A delegation of women attending the Australian Women’s Conference in Brisbane in 1909. State Library of Queensland, Item: FL2816481
Avalon Beach SLSC turns 100 in 2025!
2025 marks 100 years of Avalon Beach Surf Lifesaving Club.
Planning is underway to celebrate the achievement of Avalon Beach SLSC's Volunteer Surf Lifesavers keeping Avalon Beach safe for residents and visitors for 100 years!
A number of celebratory events and activities spread throughout the Club's 100th year, are currently under development, and will be progressively announced through the year.
The range of celebrations will involve past and present members, the Avalon Beach community, as well as visitors to our area. The Surf Club is a focal point in and for the Avalon Beach community, so it is fitting that the community takes pride in this milestone.
Initially, so that our records are up to date, we invite all past members of our Club to Email the Club at 100years@avalonbeachslsc.com.au with your updated details so we can keep you informed of what will be happening for members.
If you know of others that may be interested in the 100th Anniversary celebrations please pass the message on.
The Club looks to the future, acknowledging and building on the legacy left from those who came before us over the past 100 years.
Avalon Beach SLSC Centenary Committee
A Call to Volunteer Trainers and Students
Come and share your knowledge or learn more about your device!
Computer Pals for Seniors Northern Beaches would love to hear from you. We are a not-for-profit organisation helping seniors navigate the wonderful world of technology.
We teach in term times Monday to Friday in a relaxed fun environment.
Common topics requested by Students are: Sending and receiving emails, discovering useful apps, safe banking online, learning how to take and store photos, avoiding Scams, and basically being able to operate their device with confidence.
We teach Android/Apple tablets and phones, and Apple/Microsoft/ Chromebook laptops.
We are based at the Tramshed Arts & Community Centre, 1395a Pittwater Road, Narrabeen, near the B-Line bus stop.
The purpose of our group is to support seniors (55yrs +) living with Parkinson’s, their carers, relatives and those who have lost a partner to Parkinson’s, who live on the northern beaches of Sydney.
This support Group has been meeting for around 30 years on the Northern Beaches. Our meetings aim to help reduce the social isolation, and increase community connectedness for our members. Through guest speakers, discussions, and group activities, our meetings will support and promote mental health, healthy lifestyles and well-being.
Our Facebook webpage will be used to store resources and links, and provide another way to safely keep in touch, for those who want to use Facebook. We also have a website that is regularly updated https://wheresdot.wixsite.com/nbpdsupportgroup
We meet regularly and have been meeting at Jamieson Park, The Esplanade, Narrabeen.
We have a fantastic team of volunteers who help us with a range of jobs. A roster system ensures that we don’t overdo things but many of our volunteers nevertheless are there even when they’re not on the roster. We set up a marquee for shade, put out the urn for tea and coffee, bring the boats out from the shed, set up the boats and put them into the water, sail the boats, ensure that everyone signs in, operate the radio, observer on the safety boat, and at the end of our day’s sailing, do all this in reverse.
You don’t have to be a sailor to be a volunteer, landlubbers are most welcome too. And some of our volunteers are themselves disabled.
Volunteering for Sailability Manly will give you many amazing personal rewards… for starters, what better way of spending a few hours on a Saturday than on Manly Cove? And you’ll find that you will grow as a person through meeting and interacting with a diverse range of wonderful and inspiring people with various disabilities.
If you’re not a sailor don’t let that stop you – we have numerous things that need doing on the jetty and we’re happy to take you for a sail or even train you to become a sailor if you wish.
NSW Seniors Card is pleased to provide members with the 2024 Seniors Card Directory, your guide to the best discounts and special offers from thousands of participating businesses across the state.
The directory includes discounts from each region in NSW. The regions are: Sydney & Surrounds, Central Coast & Hunter, Northern NSW, Southern NSW and Western NSW.
View our regional map below to determine which region you are in. You can view the directory online in your browser or download and save to your computer for quick reference as you need.
Each year five directories are released, one for each region in NSW. The regions are: Sydney & Surrounds, Central Coast & Hunter, Northern NSW, Southern NSW and Western NSW.
To download your copy, please click the link below:
Copies of the 2024 directory are also available for pickup from Australia Post Outlets, Service NSW Centres, MP Offices as well as participating local Councils and Libraries across the state. Please click here to find a location near you.
Hotline to report food quality in aged care now live
Australians now have a simple and efficient way to report food concerns in aged care, with the launch of a dedicated Food, Nutrition and Dining Unit hotline at the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
The hotline is active and callers will have access to experts in the areas of food, nutrition, and dining, including dietitians and speech pathologists.
A good meal with good nutrition is crucial to quality of life for everyone but especially older people.
The Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline is also available to aged care providers to access food and nutrition advice, support and education to deliver improved food, nutrition and dining experiences for older people in their care.
Older people, their families and carers, providers and aged care workers can call the Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline on 1800 844 044.
The hotline builds on the Federal Government’s grant to the Maggie Beer Foundation to build the capability of aged care chefs and cooks working in aged care.
“What older Australians consume and their dining experience has a significant impact on their overall wellbeing.
“Australians were shocked when the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety found that 68% of aged care residents were malnourished or at risk of malnourishment on the Coalition’s watch.
“I can't be clear enough, food must be a priority in aged care.
“The Food, Nutrition and Dining Unit hotline is another important step in the Albanese Government’s mission to make sure older people have access to nourishing food that improves their quality of life.”
The Council on the Ageing NSW (COTA NSW) is the peak organisation for people over 50 in our state. We’re an independent, non-partisan, consumer-based non-government organisation. We work with politicians, policy makers, and service providers as well as media representatives to make sure your views are heard and your needs are met. COTA NSW works to empower and engage people over 50. For decades, we’ve shaped the policies and programs that change lives.
Since our beginning in 1956, COTA NSW has introduced policies and programs that make a real difference to peoples’ lives. We have proud record, having created: ■Meals on Wheels, ■Retirement Village Residents Association, ■Australian Seniors Computer Clubs Association, ■Seniors Clubs, ■Seniors Information Service, ■OM:NI – Older Men: New Ideas, ■Grandfriends, ■Grandparents, Relatives and Kinship Care Alliance, ■Medication Management for Older People, and the ■Mature Employment Line
NSW Seniors Card program: Translated Resources
If you're from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background, and would like more information about the NSW Seniors Card program, translated versions of the Membership Guide brochure are available here:
Avalon Soccer Club is an amateur club situated at the northern end of Sydney’s Northern Beaches. As a club we pride ourselves on our friendly, family club environment. The club is comprised of over a thousand players aged from 5 to 70 who enjoy playing the beautiful game at a variety of levels and is entirely run by a group of dedicated volunteers.
Country Pensioner Excursion ticket: NSW Public Transport
Parents missing out on REAL face time? If they have a Pension Card, sign them up & they could get unlimited $2.50 Country Pensioner Excursion tickets*.
Call 13 22 32 to sign up.
Country Pensioner Excursion ticket (CPE)
A Country Pensioner Excursion (CPE) ticket is an affordable ticket for eligible pensioners and seniors to travel by train in regional NSW and the ACT.
For $2.50 you can book an economy class seat on a NSW TrainLink
Regional train service. You will need to book 7 days or less in advance
A new rebate for independent retirees who hold a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card to help with electricity costs. The Seniors Energy Rebate is available for eligible independent retirees to help cover the cost of their electricity.
To be eligible you need to hold a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC).
CSHCs are means-tested concession cards issued by Services Australia and the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA).
The Seniors Energy Rebate is now $250 per household, per financial year.
If your application is successful, the rebate will be paid directly into your nominated bank or Credit Union account.
Note: Gas accounts are not eligible for the rebate.
What you need
your valid CSHC from Centrelink or the DVA
the most recent electricity bill for your current primary place of residence
your contact details
your bank or Credit Union account details
How to apply
Check you meet the eligibility requirements.
Select the 'Apply online' button.
Enter the required details.
Submit the application.
If you're unable to apply online, visit a service centre or call us on 13 77 88.
If your application is successful, you'll receive payment within 5 working days into your nominated bank/Credit Union account. Service NSW will contact you if there are problems issuing your payment.
Tech Savvy Seniors provides free or low cost digital skills training on how to use computers, tablets and smartphones to keep in touch with family and friends, access essential services, conducting personal business and discover more about the things you are interested in.
Join the thousands of people over 60 who have already completed this fun, practical training and made new friends in the process.
With over 150 training locations across NSW as well as resources online it has never been easier to build your digital skills and confidence, with training available in a range of languages. To find out more about training sessions available near you, visit the Tech Savvy Seniors website to find your local library or community college provider.
For here:
Northern Beaches Council Library at Glen Street, Mona Vale, Warringah Mall 02 9976 1720
Northern Beaches Community College Inc at Narrabeen, Brookvale, Mosman (02) 9970 1000 enquiries@nbcc.nsw.edu.au
The Tech Savvy Seniors website also contains a great range of ‘self-teach’ videos and free digital literacy training resources available to make it easy to learn at your own pace to develop your digital skills from the comfort of your home.
Tech Savvy Seniors is a NSW Government initiative in partnership with Telstra.
NSW Spectacles Program
The NSW Spectacles Program provides glasses and visual aids to eligible recipients who might be at risk of a preventable decline in their eye health.
If you're eligible, you can receive free of charge in any 2-year period:
one pair of single vision glasses, or
one pair of bifocal glasses.
Contact lenses, tinted lenses or low vision aids may be provided in certain circumstances.
You are eligible if you:
receive a full Centrelink pension/benefit
have no other income other than the Centrelink payments
have financial assets less than $500 (if single) or $1000 (if married/partnered or parent/guardian)
are a low-wage earner who earns less than:
the JobSeeker Payment if you're under 65, or
the aged pension if you're over 65.
People living in regional/remote areas and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples may also qualify for the subsidy. At your appointment, your provider will use the program’s online portal to check your eligibility using the information you've supplied.
Visit Vision Australia for more details on the program, your eligibility and how to apply, at:
Everyone is welcome, from novices to experienced players! Sharpen your mind, connect with friends, learn a new skill or refresh your existing game. Mah Jong if fun for all!
For more information contact Leigh Hudson 0408 941 665.
Stay for dinner in Halyards - book your table online HERE
MWP CARE (previously known as MWP Community Aid) is a local not for profit organisation that was founded by Daphne Elsworthy, a Collaroy resident, 52 years ago and we are still going strong!
In 2022 our programs focus on assisting older people aged 65 years and older, we also assist younger people with a disability and their carers. We are funded by the Australian Government Dept. of Health through the Commonwealth Home Support Program (known as CHSP). Pittwater Online News PROFILE
These services may be eligible for government subsidies. Call us on (02) 9913 3244 for a confidential discussion. Alternatively you may call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to discuss your needs. To access our services (and all other CHSP provider services) you must be registered with My Aged Care – the portal for all things related to Aged Care Services
We provide services aimed at helping people to stay independently living in their own homes.
Our programs cover:
Transport – to medical and social appointments
Shopping – Escorted Shopping, Shop By List, Group Social Shopping
Visiting – a volunteer visits a client in their own home for social support
Individual Activities – visit a friend, the library, the beach, local garden, and nursery, go for a coffee & chat, attend community activities etc.
Social Group Bus Outings – our mini bus and experienced staff coordinate a calendar of bus outings to interesting venues
CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) social groups/outings – Chinese, Italian, Korean , Filipino, Serbian
Home Maintenance Modification Service – provided to individual home owners at reasonable cost. Services provided by trusted tradespeople can include Plumbing, Carpentry, Handyman, Electrical, Modifications (ramps, rails etc.)
RSPCA NSW understands that to an elderly owner, a pet can mean everything. Our Aged Care program aims to keep pets and their elderly owners happy, healthy and together in their own homes for as long as possible. To do this, we assist elderly pet owners over the age of 65, Indigenous pet owners over the age of 50 and palliative care patients of any age.
services our Aged Care program offers include: temporary foster accommodation and/or emergency pet boarding if the owner requires medical treatment, respite or other assistance
assistance with veterinary treatment
home visits to assist the elderly with basic pet care
assistance with pet grooming
assistance with transport to and from the local veterinarian
a volunteer network to assist with dog walking and short periods of in-home care if the owner requires medical treatment, respite or other assistance
Please note that due to high demand for this program, we ask that pet owners first ask family and friends whether they are able to assist with their pet’s care.
This community program was previously known as Pets of Older Persons (POOPs).
For more information please contact the RSPCA Community Programs helpline (02) 9782 4408.
The helpline operates Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. During weekends and public holidays contact the RSPCA Contact Centre on (02) 9770 7555
Aged Care Program FAQs
Computer Pals for Seniors: Northern Beaches - Technology made easy for Seniors
Have you ever struggled with the demands of modern technology? Come and join our friendly club and learn at your own pace.
Computer Pals for Seniors Northern Beaches is here to help you master your device, be it Android/Apple tablets and phones, Apple/Microsoft/Chromebook laptops.
Each lesson is one-on-one for an hour each week during term times.
We are based at The Tramshed Arts & Community Centre, 1395a Pittwater Road, Narrabeen, close to the B-Line bus stop.
If you would like further information please contact Anne - Tel: 9984 0604 or emailanne.computerpals@gmail.com.
With around a quarter of a million members, National Seniors is Australia’s largest consumer organisation for the over 50s and fourth largest group of its kind in the world.
Avalon Scottish Country Dancing
Avalon Rec. Centre
Thursday 3pm to 5pm
Most Saturdays 2pm to 4pm
(contact Margot Fenelon 0419 122 455 to confirm Saturday class)
COST: $5 - first visit free
WHAT TO WEAR: Casual clothes and soft soled shoes
Aged Care Complaints Commissioner
Any person can make a complaint to the Commissioner, including care recipients, family members, friends, staff, volunteers, or professionals.
Complaints may relate to any aspect of services including care, choice of activities, discrimination, catering, communication or the physical environment. The 1800 550 552 helpline is staffed 9am to 5pm (AEDST) Monday to Friday.
In 2014-15, there were 10,924 contacts to the Aged Care Complaints Scheme. 3,725 were assessed as a complaint, 3,812 ‘other’ contacts includes non-compulsory notifications, own motion investigations and compliance referrals. There were also 3,387 out of scope contacts which were not related to an approved provider or an approved provider’s responsibilities under the Aged Care Act.
My Aged Care
If you need some help around the house or think it’s time to look into aged care homes, My Aged Care is here to help.
My Aged Care is the Australian Government's starting point on your aged care journey. Find and access the government-funded services you need.
Learn about different types of care
If you are just starting out on your aged care journey, this is your first step. You can see what services are available to help you stay in your own home, or what to expect in an aged care home.
Get assessed
If you’ve had a look at what services might be available and you want to know if you are eligible, this is your next step. Read about how to apply and what’s involved in the assessment process.
Find a provider
If you’ve been assessed and are ready to find a provider and set up your new services, start here. Find out what to consider and get information about service providers near you.
Manage your services
If you are receiving services and want to check what you’ve got in place or make some changes, head to this section.
Need some help?
If you need some help, the My Aged Care team can answer most of your questions over the phone. Call 1800 200 422
We meet on the first Friday of every month at the Newport Bowling Club; 2 Palm Road Newport. Our membership is full at the moment, and our waiting list is full. However, visitors are always welcome.
If you have any questions, please contact our Membership Officer, Mary Wearne: mary_wearne@hotmail.com
Did you know that Pensioners are entitled to concessions on their Council Rates?
Concessions are available for eligible pensioners. To be an eligible pensioner you must receive a pension from either Centrelink or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and be entitled to a pensioner concession card issued by the Commonwealth Government. You can only claim a concession on the property if it is the sole or principal place you live.
If you are eligible, you are entitled to:
Half of the total of your ordinary rates and domestic waste management service charge, up to a maximum of $250.
Half of your water rates or charges, up to a maximum of $87.50.
Half of your sewerage rates or charges, up to a maximum of $87.50.
To apply, you need to complete a pensioner concession application form. You can obtain these forms from your council - download our area's one HERE
Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN)
Older Persons Advocacy Network offer free, independent and confidential services that focus on supporting older people and their representatives to raise and address issues relating to accessing and interacting with Commonwealth funded aged care services.
Older Persons Advocacy Network seek to ensure that aged care consumers understand and exercise their rights and participate, to the maximum degree possible, in the decisions affecting their care.
Older Persons Advocacy Network achieve this through the delivery of individual advocacy support, information and consumer and service provider education.
Nine State and Territory based organisations form the OPAN network. Older Persons Advocacy Network is funded by the Australian Government to deliver the National Aged Care Advocacy Program (NACAP), providing a national voice for aged care advocacy.
ADVOCACY
Older Persons Advocacy Network organisations offer free aged care advocacy services that are independent and confidential
INFORMATION
Older Persons Advocacy Network organisations provide free information about aged care service provision, referrals and the rights and responsibilities of consumers
EDUCATION
Older Persons Advocacy Network organisations offer free information and education sessions to consumers and providers of Commonwealth funded aged care services
Home Instead Sydney North Shore & Northern Beaches
We are a provider of quality home care and companionship services for seniors in the Northern suburbs of Sydney.
To you, it’s about finding trustworthy care for your ageing loved one. To us, it’s about providing the highest-quality in-home care services to fit you and your family’s needs.
To Us, It's Personal.
We provide services to all areas and suburbs in the North Shore and Northern Beaches of Sydney.
Australian Ageing Agenda (AAA) is an independent and authoritative bi-monthly publication for people who work in or around the aged care and retirement sectors in Australia. It provides a broad range of news, education and opinion with an emphasis on knowledge sharing and research translation.
Each issue also contains regular updates on relevant business and financial issues along with a selection of well researched features on crucial systems and operations, clinical care, technology, built environment and other issues relevant to the ‘ageing sector’. AAA leads the way with the industry’s most comprehensive conference details and remains Australia’s number one source of news and information about ageing issues and aged care.
Men With Day Jobs’ latest album Musical Differences Out August 1 on Apple Music and streaming services Album launch: Gasoline Pony, Marrickville Rd Marrickville, Thurs Aug 7 from 7pm Also at Humph Hall, Allambie Rd Allambie Heights, Friday Sept 26
A lifetime of work by a veteran Northern Beaches musical partnership has led to perhaps their finest album yet – celebrating their Musical Differences.
Acclaimed songwriter-singer-musicians Rod Crundwell and Stafford Sanders co-founded local group Men With Day Jobs. They’ve sampled a wide range of genres, moods, tempos and lyrical inspirations for the new album, just released.
Rod and Stafford were both born and raised on the Manly to Barrenjoey peninsula and live in the area. They met at Pittwater High School, Mona Vale – where, says Rod, “We realised we shared a passion for two things: music, and Not Paying Attention.” They became well-known at the school for doing both.
Continuing their musical friendship through university, in the late ‘70s their group Winter scored a brief contract with EMI - and they ignored the age-old wisdom “Don’t give up your day jobs”, going on the road full-time. Says Stafford: “We did all the Dumb Things, and crashed and burned for all the usual reasons.”
They released just one single, nautical novelty I Am the Captain – the clip played on Countdown and other pop programs, showing the group in mullets, moustaches and sailor suits! The song was chosen in October 2024 by ABC’s Rage for inclusion in a special of the best songs from 1978 - the clip is on YouTube.
In 1979 the group disbanded and they returned to the Day Jobs. But Rod and Stafford never lost their love of music and creative writing - Rod going on to play with several other bands and backing big names - John Swann, Frankie J Holden, Wilbur Wylde and more; Stafford writing radio and TV satire and acclaimed musicals for stage, radio and schools.
In 2000 they reunited to form Men With Day Jobs – the name a chuckling allusion to their determination not to repeat that old mistake. With collaborators at various points, Paul Fenton, Ken Stephenson and Kim Constable, the group made five albums before joining forces with Sydney duo Dennis Aubrey and Pete Purton to form Baggage & Stuff for a 2021 album. Rod has also produced fine solo albums and played on others’. This further MWDJ offering completes their discography.
Rod and Stafford have written a stream of quality songs – some covered worldwide, like their climate satire Denial Tango - popular on YouTube and performed by acts across Australia, in the US and Canada. More recently they penned Let’s Not Forget for Melbourne Aboriginal group Blackfire. Together or separately, the two have won major awards, published other writings, written and played with topline acts and done countless live gigs at venues and festivals around Sydney and NSW.
Musical Differences - unlike their other albums, almost entirely written and performed by Rod and Stafford - runs the gamut from serious to satirical, bright and breezy to dark and intense.
“The album title”, says Rod, “refers to a phrase often used as a reason for band breakups – but it’s just as often the life-blood of a productive musical collaboration.”
And Stafford adds: “Ours has been going for over fifty years - and despite our own musical differences it doesn’t look like ending anytime soon.”
The album draws on their diverse musical influences – from pop-rock through folk, country, classical, jazz, bluegrass and more.
Says Stafford, “We’re shameless dabblers in the melting pot of popular music.”
Lyrical inspirations range from serious issues of environment and gun crime through to hilarious takes on Australian 007 George Lazenby and ageing boy bands – plus personal whimsies on old records, ghost stories, romantic obsessions, The Band’s musical legacy, loving tributes, and acting from the heart. There’s even an instrumental, with an array of stringed instruments. Long-time collaborators Jim Manzie, Kim Constable, Dennis Aubrey and Pete Purton chip in with some co-writing, singing and playing.
After years living in various other places, both Rod and Stafford have moved solidly back to the peninsula – Rod at Fairlight, Stafford at nearby Balgowlah. “It makes it easier to annoy each other at short notice” says Rod.
Pete and Kim now having firmly joined (or rejoined) the Men, further live and recorded projects are in the pipeline. Their recorded works are available on Apple Music and streaming services - and numerous clips are on You Tube.
MEN WITH DAY JOBS Musical Differences, 2025 cover
Personnel
ROD CRUNDWELL: Voices / keyboards / bass / electric guitar / programming / production
* “Musical differences”: often cited as a reason for band breakups, but just as often the life-blood of a creative partnership. Ours began in 1965, and kicks on.
Friday essay: ‘Like a detective examining a crime scene.’ Natalie Harkin charts the intimate history of Aboriginal domestic service
See Her Shining in the Sun | Leadlight Tryptic, in APRON-SORROW / SOVEREIGN-TEA, Natalie Harkin with Sharene VandenbroekNatalie Harkin, Flinders University
I dip in and out, lured to new depths of surveillance data stirring on unthinkable currents. There are no limits to these domestic service files. No solid foundation to ultimately reach or push back and spring up from: just murky beginnings and slick surfaces. I navigate slowly through thousands of carefully crafted handwritten and typed letters and file notes and do my best to make sense of the chaos.
This is private, intimate reading, and these young women and girls will not let me rest. Their voices penetrate every membrane of every cell in my body until I recognise them as my own, and like proper good nannas and aunties, they are not letting me off the hook. Their apron linen is pressed against my skin, and I see their dust rise and float on shards of light. My hands are red-raw and my back aches.
This is my uncanny triggering. A persistent prickling of fine hair at the nape of my neck, all fight-flight and fury, and haunted into action.
There are generations of containment in these files. Our women and girls, our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. The names are familiar, and my family are represented in these files too. They are all calling me back and pushing me forward and I have no choice but to respond.
Exhibition Video Stills: Natalie Harkin with Unbound Collective, ‘Days of Our Lives’, in APRON-SORROW / SOVEREIGN-TEA, 2021, single channel video, 16’16.Natalie Harkin
Not just my family’s story
Histories of slavery, exploitation and stolen wages are considered striking features of our Aboriginal labour story from the point of first colonial contact, and an unresolved human rights issue in Australia.
The State Aboriginal Records’ “Domestic Service” files reveal the unfolding rationale for interdependent policies of child removal, institutionalisation and domestic training as important context to the burgeoning Aboriginal domestic service workforce into the 20th century.
They reveal critical voices from Protectors and mission superintendents, white employers, the parents, girls and women themselves placed into training or service. These records trigger questions about surveillance, representation and agency.
Most Aboriginal families I know in South Australia carry intimate histories of domestic service through living memory and intergenerational blood-memory passed on. We know these stories of servitude intimately within our own families and communities. They are important, often reluctantly disclosed, and held close to our bodies, leaving an indelible imprint for our future.
“They say our nation was built on the back of Blacks and it is not far from the truth,” writes Bidjara and Birri Gubba Juru historian Jackie Huggins about the decades-long “brutal history” of Aboriginal women serving as domestic servants, being “perceived as chattels and slaves”.
“Aboriginal people’s labour contributions are, in fact, integral to the invisible fabric of nation building,” Huggins writes. “The upkeep of white families in colonial times permitted those in power to access land and cheap labour to exploit their already scarce resources. Let us not forget the Stolen Wages.”
Despite the significance of these stories in the collective memory of Aboriginal South Australians (and Aboriginal people nationwide), the government-orchestrated system of indentured labour remains largely hidden and unacknowledged in the state’s dominant and official public narrative.
These files shone new light on my family’s story at the height of the assimilation era in the 1940s, when our women’s employment was managed by the Aborigines Protection Board and the Children’s Welfare and Public Relief Board.
I was searching for that underbelly of meaning in historical records to help me make sense of the seething, colonising backdrop to our lives. As Trawlwoolway artist Julie Gough says, we are like detectives examining the crime scene of our life.
Exhibition View: Natalie Harkin, APRON-SORROW / SOVEREIGN-TEA, 15–31 October 2021, Vitalstatistix, Waterside Workers Hall, Kaurna Yerta (photograph Emma Luker for Replay Creative).Natalie Harkin
Searching the domestic service archives
On March 13 2019, a rudimentary search through the GRG52/1 records group was conducted in South Australia’s State Records Aboriginal Information Management System (AIMS) database, using only the keyword “Domestic”.
I was then given access to 2,549 pages of correspondence letters, reports and notes generated between 1907 to 1961 through the Aborigines Department and Aborigines Protection Board. Many records were unavailable, redacted, or denied, particularly between 1947 and 1955. Many years were also entirely unaccounted for, despite the ongoing administration, management and surveillance of Aboriginal people during that time.
These missing years could signal the current limitations of the AIMS database, or that these files are unavailable because they have been lost, destroyed, or temporarily reside with another government department for research or legal professional privilege purposes.
I have selected excerpts from these files that characterise the larger domestic service story in South Australia. The only people identified are those leading state and institution administrators already on the public record for their management in Aboriginal affairs and policy history in South Australia. No Aboriginal community members or private employers are named here.
Four distinct categories of “voice” are revealed in these Domestic files, speaking to each other and intricately woven:
State Voices represent government and institutional control over Aboriginal girls and the punitive personal power of key agents of state, including particular
Protectors, matrons, mission managers/superintendents, police constables, teachers
and welfare officers.
Employer Voices represent individuals, organisations and labour schemes that liaise with the state and make requests, and report to the Aborigines Protection Board or to mission stations about what they want in a domestic worker.
Family Voices represent parents, grandparents and other family members who write
letters on behalf of the girls, or enquire after them, advocate for them and report to the state about them.
The Girls’ Voices represent the women and children who were targeted for domestic service training, or who sought employment opportunities, and wrote about their needs, conditions, and experiences.
Here, I include brief excerpts of the voices I discovered: a handful from each category.
All correspondence between a parent and child or parent and employer was mediated through the Aborigines Department and Chief Protector, and the girls often did not receive them. These letters and the people who wrote them are extraordinary, and provide a critical insight to Aboriginal agency, resistance, and strategic proactive engagement with authorities.
They demonstrate strong family bonds and prove children were not “destitute” or “neglected” by their families, as charged. I dream ways to repatriate these letters back to descendants of such powerful word-warriors, who picked up the mighty pen and wrote for our lives.
Exhibition View: Natalie Harkin, APRON-SORROW / SOVEREIGN-TEA, 15–31 October 2021, Vitalstatistix, Waterside Workers Hall, Kaurna Yerta (photograph Emma Luker for Replay Creative).Natalie Harkin
State voices: ruthless and punitive
The state’s paternalistic assumption, “we know what’s best”, is both overt and implied throughout these records. Leading public agents, administrators and managers include: the Protector of Aborigines, members of the Aborigines Protection Board, state department welfare officers in the Department of Aborigines and Children’s Welfare Board, leading figures in churches, the Salvation Army, training institutions, state homes, reforms schools and the police.
Their actions were ruthless and punitive. As wards of the state or simply as a result of being born under the Aborigines Act, girls were largely treated as gaol inmates.
These agents of state forcefully advocated for increasing measures to separate girls from their families and indenture them to domestic work, which was evident from the first 1907 Domestic Service file I accessed.
It noted that girls were unwilling to leave their homes to become domestic workers for strangers, that “special legislation” would be required to deal with them, and that parents were a hindrance to the state’s assimilation and “labour solution” agenda.
From an early age, the girls on missions were being assessed for their potential as part of the future domestic workforce. The state acknowledged that its policies and “special” measures had negative impacts on the girls and their families, and that the conditions in some workplaces weren’t ideal, but they pursued their agenda in the girls’ “best interest” regardless. The Aborigines Protection Board had the state-granted right to send the girls wherever they wanted, and chastised parents and girls if the orders given or opportunities offered were not taken up.
The “Protection Office” acted as the controlling mediator between mission superintendents, the girls’ parents, and employers in the city, towns, rural and remote locations across South Australia.
It also dealt with recruitment agencies and facilities such as: the Directorate scheme through Commonwealth Department of Labour and National Service; Woomera Village through the Commonwealth Department of Defence; the Australian Government’s war-time and post-war employment scheme “Manpower Directorate”; the Balaklava Aboriginal Welfare Institution through the Commonwealth Department of the Interior; and national pastoral companies that acted as agents for rural and remote stations.
The administration was flat out responding to requests that rolled in from private homes, local farms and pastoral stations, elite private schools such as St Peters Boys and St Peters Girls, hospitals, church facilities, hotels and guest houses, and more. The Protection Office established formal labour schemes with the Salvation Army, including the Fullarton Girls Home, and managed wage schemes and the girls’ Commonwealth entitlements.
The correspondence files regarding girls in domestic training at the Salvation Army Fullarton Girls Home are substantial. Children from as young as ten years old were sent to the Home, with and without their parents’ consent.
Penhall, who was Chief Protector from 1936–1953, worked in partnership with the with the matron at the Home, Sister McKenzie, to control the girls’ movements, including their access to family. It is unclear whether this scheme was entirely legal, especially as it has been proven that Penhall acted outside the law in relation to the removal of Aboriginal children.
Employer voices: shocking and prescriptive
The correspondence files generated between the Protector, the Aborigines Protection Board, mission superintendents and employers are prolific and significant. They comprise mostly handwritten letters from individuals and organisations enquiring about how “to obtain a half-caste girl” for domestic help.
Their requests are at times quite shocking, desperate and prescriptive. They are forthright in identifying what they want in a worker, often referring to blood quantum, skin colour and other so-called desirable attributes.
They include conditions of employment, the accommodation set-up, and what they can offer in the way of social activities and religious instruction. They report on the girls’ progress via lengthy anecdotes; complaints about their attitude and behaviour; concerns about their homesickness or parental interference; and seek advice regarding appropriate punishment measures. Some reports include praise, encouragement, positive anecdotes and updates, and indicate genuine concern about the girls’ loneliness and isolation.
Requests for Aboriginal domestic workers in private homes increased substantially during the 1940s and 1950s, and at points where “demand exceeded supply”, a standard reply was generated from the Protector’s Office along these lines: I have to advise that we have no suitable girls available for domestic work at present. Your application will be kept in mind for future reference. I will advise when a domestic help can be supplied.
In remote station homes, international pastoral companies such as Elder Smith and Dalgety and Company were effectively agents taking charge of domestic servant recruitment on behalf of their remote station managers. Dalgety and Company Ltd was registered in London in 1884 and was a major pastoral and agricultural company, or stock and station agency, in Australia and New Zealand – for more than a century.
By 1909 there was a branch in Adelaide, where the main correspondence was generated for labour matters in SA. Another key employment scheme was developed to service Woomera Village, a Department of Defence facility that was established on Kokatha Country in 1947.
The “Village” refers to the domestic area of the whole military defence complex known as the Anglo-Australian Joint Project between Australia and the UK, post-World War II. This was one of the world’s most secret allied establishments, with a rocket testing range, a high-tech aerospace and a long-range weapons development program.
It operated as a “closed town” within the broader Woomera Prohibited Area until 1983, with the usual municipal services and related jobs. This included tapping into the state Aborigines Protection Board system to acquire cheap Aboriginal domestic “help” for officers and the broader gated defence community, where my nanna, her sisters and my great-grandmother worked as domestics.
This labour procurement program is partially captured in the state records’ “Woomera, Long Range Weapons Establishment Files”.
Family voices: standing their ground
The girls’ parents, grandparents and other family members entered what can only be
described as a fierce postal dialogue with the state. They regularly wrote to the Protector, the matron, or the mission superintendent making enquiries about their girls, advocating for them, and seeking good working placements on their behalf.
Parents were given little, if any, information on the girls’ location and situation, and often requested details regarding the kinds of people they worked for, their working conditions, their wages, and more.
Parents had to write to the Protector requesting to see their children at Christmas, or for a weekend, or a day’s outing. Some parents had not seen their children for several years, and became very insistent in their wishes and demands which, given the Protector’s severe power over their lives, demonstrates considerable strength and courage. Despite the consequences, they stood their ground reminding the state of their parental rights, duty, and ultimate
authority over their own children.
At the Fullarton Girls Home, all family correspondence was directed initially to the Protector, then the matron, then the girls. Their reply was overseen by the matron, and sometimes via the Protector. The matron was very prescriptive about outings and what time the girls could be collected and returned, with no allowance for spontaneity or flexibility.
Parents often had to travel long distances from missions, such as Point McLeay, Point Pearce and Koonibba, and organise overnight accommodation in the city so they could see their children for a short time as determined by the Protector, the matron, or private employers. The Protector controlled where they met, their activities, and discouraged them from visiting with other families living in the West End of Adelaide.
One mother wrote to Sister McKenzie refusing to return her daughter to Fullarton due to her poor treatment, stating with absolute clarity, “I think that my daughter is better in her own home”.
Girls’ voices: resistance and refusal
The diversity of experiences in domestic service situations are represented best in the words of women and girls themselves. Their letters to families, state authorities and employers reveal the intimate day-to-day machinations of state that controlled their lives in gendered and racialised ways. Collectively, these letters represent an accidental record on the archive to verify a much larger and hidden labour story in South Australia.
By the age of ten, girls were assessed and targeted for domestic training and placements. Some girls were indentured without choice. Some girls were highly motivated to leave the controlling confines of missions and reserves in search of the same opportunities, freedoms, and rights as the rest of society. Their individual experiences were unique and varied depending on multiple factors, such as their age, literacy levels, personalities, family supports and the attitudes of their employers and state authorities in power at the time.
Many teenage girls and young women became pregnant, and there are countless files
describing the challenge of finding a work placement that would also accommodate a baby or small child. The cycle of child removal continued as babies were removed or returned to missions and reserves for grandparents to raise, before those children were themselves placed out to domestic service.
The girls clearly understood the complex policy regimes they were required to navigate and the racialised nuances of white privilege and power. Where possible, they questioned, challenged and handled the punitive actions of employers and authorities, and utilised their personal power within the limits imposed on them.
Much like the letters written by their parents, their tone was most often conciliatory, polite and gracious. They were often very direct and could often make a case to defend themselves.
For example, they responded to allegations of bad behaviour; documented mistreatment by superiors; requested work breaks and holidays (especially to see their parents); and advocated for wages owed or improved wage conditions.
They named the racism they faced and at times took matters into their own hands – despite the risk of further punishment. They absconded, eluded police, swore and raged at their employers, stole food and clothing when they ran away, ignored curfew times, and secretly met with family, friends, and lovers.
These letters are a monumental testimony to their self-determined agency, strength, courage, and resilience.
Carrying some of the weight
The emotional labour is familiar, and I am deeply conflicted; acutely aware these are not my individual records or stories to tell. So how to strike that intricate balance? How to honour the voices in the files without exploiting their experiences or sensationalising the trauma? How to hold space and do them justice?
It feels like a just and necessary responsibility. These minor intimacies are fundamental to understanding a much larger, sinister secret, and the unsettling story of South Australia. This is the archival-poetic entry point. The key is to read along and against the archive grain, to shed light on these records, interrogate their origins, and activate some awakening to reckon with it all.
And to all the girls, women and families represented here: I promise to never speak for them, to never identify them, to never presume to tell individual or family stories, and to keep talking with them so they will know … I see you. I’m listening. I will carry some of the weight of your world with only care and love and I will never let you go.
Sydney u3a comprises seven regions covering the greater Sydney metropolitan area. The local one is U3A Northern Beaches Region.
Sydney u3a is managed and run entirely by volunteers who contribute time and energy to provide life-long learning and social activities for everyone. Join in to enjoy the benefits of membership! At the one affordable annual membership fee of $85.00 (less than $2 per week), you’ll get:
access to a wide range of courses and presentations
friendly and inviting social events in your region
Members can attend any course in any of the seven regions
Volunteers lead and administer the courses and talks
A wide range of topics is covered – from learning foreign languages to table tennis to history to book/movie clubs to philosophy to science related issues. There’s something for everyone!
Courses are held in a variety of local venues and via Zoom
Events, visits, tours and social activities are also offered
Full details of activities are listed each semester in the Course Book and on individual regional pages
From time to time there are changes to course details after publication of the Course Book. Please keep checking your region’s website or the website home page for updates.
u3a Northern Beaches Region
Our current newsletter includes up to date information on courses, events and any changes to the program. Previous newsletters are available here if you missed any information or wish to refresh your memory.
Please note: The newsletter is distributed to members by email at the end of each month. If you haven’t received the latest copy please check as it may have been captured in your Junk email folder. If this is the case, please adjust your settings so that you receive future newsletters as soon as possible. We also take this opportunity to issue a friendly reminder to contact us with your updated details if you change your home or email address. Thank you.
Active and Healthy at any age
Staying physically active is the single most important thing you can do to stay fit and independent, as you get older. Age is no barrier, research shows that exercise, at any age, is worth the effort. If you are in any doubt about exercise, please talk to your doctor.
This website (https://www.activeandhealthy.nsw.gov.au/) can help you find an exercise program in your local area and provides information and tools that can assist you to increase your physical activity.
Join Healthy and Active for Life Online!
Healthy and Active for Life Online is a FREE 10-week healthy lifestyle program for adults aged 60 years* and over.
The program will help you learn how to make small, sustainable changes in your lifestyle to improve your health.
The program covers lots of topics including healthy eating and physical activity.
No prior knowledge or exercise experience is required!
*Aboriginal people aged 45+ years can register.
Healthy and Active for Life Online will help you to be active by:
Providing online exercise programs for you to complete in the comfort of your home
Providing you with an exercise manual and log to keep you on track
Helping you to create realistic goals and increase your fitness
Peninsula Bridge Club- Founded in 1967, we are a key community hub on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. We contribute strongly to our community: with both social connectedness for those who need it and opportunities to learn and train for those with competitive sporting goals.
The Club is a vibrant organisation hosting up to three bridge sessions a day. We have 37 permanently set tables – that’s 148 players. We host over 30,000 player sessions every year. This includes prominent tournaments and education events attracting players from across the region.
We pride ourselves on the friendliness of the club and our strong community spirit. We support local charities but even more importantly we support community members by providing them with social connection and mental stimulus – irrespective of age and mobility.
Our clubhouse is at Warriewood.
We have a new Beginners Course starting the end of September.
Each 2-hour lesson focuses on learning by playing, with a break for tea and chocolate biscuits mid-way. The course runs for 6 weeks and costs $100, which includes text book and support materials.
After the lessons we offer “Help with Play” sessions to practise what you’ve learned; Mondays 7-9pm; Tuesdays 2.15-4.30; Fridays 9.15-11.30. ($7 for members & $12 for visitors – membership
We also offer more advanced lessons each month so you can continue to improve your game if you want.
If you are keen to learn this great game, please call or email Cath Whiddon (Director of Bridge Ed at PBC): 9979 5752 or cwhiddon@live.com.
If you already know how to play, take a look at our website to see what’s on offer this month: peninsulabridgeclub.org.au
If you receive a pension, you may qualify for a rebate on your water bill.
To be eligible, you’ll need a:
Pensioner Concession Card from Centrelink or Department of Veterans' Affairs, or
gold Health Card (also known as a gold card) that shows:
war widow
war widower
extreme disablement adjustment (EDA)
totally and temporarily incapacitated (TTI)
totally and permanently incapacitated (TPI).
You’ll also need to be the owner and occupier of one of the following:
single dwelling
dual occupancy
strata or company title unit
unit in a retirement village with a life term lease.
If you own the property with someone who isn't a pensioner, you may still get a rebate. This depends on your relationship with the other owner(s) and your eligibility.
Rebates are applied to each bill.
You can claim your pensioner rebate by selecting your water supplier from the following list:
BYRA has a passion for sharing the great waters of Pittwater and a love of sailing with everyone aged 8 to 80 or over!
Keep your Wits About You
A regular contributor suggests we all look at Lumosity to see if will suit keeping active mentally. Their website states: "improve Brain Health and performance. Designed by neuroscientists, Lumosity exercises improve core cognitive functions. Researchers have measured significant improvements in working memory and attention after Lumosity training. Dozens of research collaborations help improve the Lumosity training program and its effectiveness." You can visit their website to decide for yourself at: www.lumosity.com/app/v4/personalization
Heartmoves is a low-moderate intensity exercise program. Regular participation in Heartmoves will help to: Better manage weight, blood sugars, blood pressure and cholesterol; Improve fitness, balance, co-ordination and flexibility; Enhance your quality of life and meet other people. Ingrid Davey is a qualified Older Adult Instructor and accredited Heartmoves Leader who will guide you through an exercise program that is fun, safe and modified to suit you. Tuesday 9.30am and Thursday 10.30am at Nelson Heather Centre, 4 Jackson Road Warriewood. The cost per class is $10.00 casual now and $17.00 for two classes. Phone Ingrid to secure your spot on 0405 457 063. www.heartfoundation.org.au
MWP Care
We've been supporting the community for over 50 years!
Our Neighbour Aid staff and volunteers are able to provide crucial support to vulnerable elderly residents during the lockdown.
Help with going to the supermarket or shopping on your behalf from a list as well as transport to medical appointments. Please get in touch via our website for more information
MWP Care is a not-for-profit organisation that assists frail aged and younger people with disabilities and their carer’s in the Manly, Warringah, Pittwater area to remain independent members of our community.
MWP Care provides support to people who cannot manage alone by providing a range of services. Many of Community Aid’s activities are made possible by the generous work of our wonderful volunteers. Please contact us for more information.
Australian Government Dept. of Health: Hearing Devices for Seniors
Australian Government's Hearing Services Program (the program), offers the option of being fitted with a hearing device if a hearing assessment identifies you have a hearing loss and a hearing device may assist you.
You will be given a recommendation for a fully subsidised hearing device, and may also be offered the option of purchasing a partially subsidised hearing device. These devices have been approved by the Office of Hearing Services.
You can find out more about this program on the Australian Government's Department of Health webpage on the program here
council has a Home Library Service Available for Seniors
For those unable to visit the library because of age or disability, the Home Library Service maintains a vital connection with all that the library offers. Your Home Library Service Officer will help you select items for reading or listening. Volunteers or staff will then deliver and collect your library items on a regular basis.
Register for the Home Library Service
If you or the person you care for is unable to visit the library or carry library items home due to age, frailty or disability, please complete Council's Home Library Service Application Form or call us on 9942 2393.
A medical certificate or statement signed by a doctor may be required to assess eligibility.
What happens next?
After staff receive your completed application form, a Home Library Service Officer will contact you to arrange a time to meet and discuss the service details with you.
Staff or volunteers will then select your items according to your borrowing preferences and then deliver them to you. During this visit you can return any items that you have finished with.
WIND, BRASS AND PERCUSSION PLAYERS!!!!!
Northern Beaches Concert Band is looking for flute, clarinet, saxophone, tuba and trombone adult players. We cater for players from beginner to advanced and have a varied and exciting repertoire. Come and join us during school term time at 7.30pm, Pittwater High School, Mona Street, Mona Vale.
Details 9970 7131 or 0414 560 263.
Community Connect
Need help on where to go to find the community information and assistance you need?
At Community Connect Northern Beaches, our professional staff and trained volunteers are knowledgeable, friendly and approachable and we will be only too pleased to help you find the service you want. We provide information and support, as well as advocacy and referral to other non profit community services and government agencies.
If we can’t help you we will get you someone who can. If you are newly arrived or do not have an English speaking background we can offer individual advice and support. Or Why not come to Specialist Community Support Workshops: Family Law, Power of Attorney plus Wills and Executors; Domestic Violence Support and Prevention; Positive Community Integration ; Crime Prevention; Or Our Free English Classes.
We also provide information on: Family Services: Child Care, Personal Support & Counselling; Health (Including Mental Health) ; Material and Practical Assistance ; Advocacy to access state and federal MP assistance; Accommodation and Tenancy (help with form filling); Legal and Financial Matters ; Consumer Affairs ; Multicultural Issues; Conservation and the Environment ; Employment and Education; Accessing Community Facilities -You are welcome to call in for: Brochures, booklets and fact sheets on a range of topics; Service Directories e.g. Council Guides and Migrant Directories; Publications e.g. The Senior newspaper and Nova.
Access to our community information data base, internet, email, fax and photocopying.(Please note there is a small charge for photocopying and use of the fax to cover the cost of paper, toner and fax call). We also offer: A Legal Referral Program - Monday 1pm to 2pm at our 30 Fisher Road, Dee Why office. Taxation Assistance for low income earners and pensioners from July to October.
What does it cost?: Our services are free, however we are always grateful for a small donation where possible. The program is supported by NSW Department of Family & Community Services (FACS). CONTACT US: Phone: 02 99317777.
Know Your Bones
CEO of Osteoporosis Australia, Greg Lyubomirsky says “bone health is an important part of your general health and anyone with risks for osteoporosis should be investigated.”
He has urged people to try the online self-assessment, Know Your Bones developed by Osteoporosis Australia and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research.
"Simply visit the website, complete the assessment in your own time and a personal report is generated which will outline potential risks and can be taken to your doctor if required.”
EasyLink (formerly Easy Transport Manly Warringah Pittwater) - medical appointments, shopping trips, mystery tours and Saturday Lunch - this great non-profit organisation offers great ideas and solutions.
Currently Avalon Beach Ladies Probus club is looking for new members - a great opportunity to spring into Spring by meeting up with wonderful local women for fun and friendship. Meets first Tuesday of every month at Club Palm Beach (Palm Beach RSL).
President Margaret White shares a few insights into this local ladies Probus club.
AvPals
Avalon Computer Pals (AVPALS) helps Seniors learn and improve their computer skills. It is a not for profit organisation run by volunteers.
Started in 2000 it now has 20+ trainers and many hundreds of students. At a really low cost (about $50 a school term) they can provide one-to-one training on most matters connected with computing and related technologies like mobile phones and digital cameras. From the smallest problem (how to hold the mouse!) to much more serious matters, there is a trainer who can help.
We offer “one to one” personal tuition or special short courses in the training rooms under the Catholic Church in Avalon. Training is conducted Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm. For more information visit AVPALS web site www.avpals.com or phone 02 8064 3574
The National Library of Australia provides access to thousands of ebooks through its website, catalogue and eResources service. These include our own publications and digitised historical books from our collections as well as subscriptions to collections such as Chinese eResources, Early English Books Online and Ebsco ebooks.
What are ebooks?
Ebooks are books published in an electronic format. They can be read by using a personal computer or an ebook reader.
This guide will help you find and view different types of ebooks in the National Library collections.
Peruse the NLA's online ebooks, ready to download - HERE
Wellbeing Plus
The Wellbeing Plus Course is a free, online treatment course for Australian’s aged 60 years+
The course includes 5 lessons delivered over 8 weeks, with optional weekly support from a therapist via email or phone. It aims to help us understand symptoms of anxiety and depression, and practice helpful skills.
Over 95% of people said they would recommend the Wellbeing Plus Course.
Volunteers are sought to help out on Wednesday mornings (7.30am to midday) at the group's workshed in Ingleside. Volunteers need their own transport and be willing to sort and clean toys that are picked up at different collection points on the Northern Beaches.
Prospective volunteers can call Terry Cook on 0410 597 327 or email him. Find out more about this great community group HERE
Meals on Wheels
Meal preparation and delivery: Benevolent Society
Our food services include meal preparation, and delivery of hot, frozen or chilled meals as part of the Meals on Wheels NSW program. This service is currently provided in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney.
Assistance to prepare food at home is available as an activity to help stay active and independent.
To find out if you or someone you know is eligible for this service, call our friendly staff.
Disclaimer: These articles are not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Pittwater Online News or its staff.