At Canada Bay Club, seniors form a very important part of our community. They are our longest serving members and we make it a priority to contribute to organisations that assist older people in the local area to help give them the support and services they need.
To shed light on the role that seniors play in the broader community, the NSW Government holds an annual Seniors Festival. This year it is being held from Wednesday 12 February to Sunday 23 February. It is the largest festival of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere that sees up to 500,000 seniors getting involved. The aim is to celebrate the valuable contributions seniors make to foster inclusiveness and a sense of community, which aligns with Canada Bay Club’s values.
This festival’s theme this year is Love to Celebrate, which is good advice for any age group. Hundreds of events will take place across the state with a nod to the theme, including sport, music, entertainment, technology, recreation, health and good nutrition. All are designed to encourage seniors to get involved and perhaps even try something new.
In this blog we let you know which local organisations Canada Bay Club donates funds to and how these fabulous groups help the elderly, along with highlighting specific activities that they are hosting to celebrate the Seniors Festival.
Co.As.It
Established in 1968, Co.As.It promotes the Italian language and rich culture by offering courses to all ages. It also offers aged care services and wide range of other community services. Canada Bay Club has been a long-time supporter of Co.As.It and the good work it does for the local area. To celebrate the Seniors Festival Co.As.It are holding three Italian Concerts, two of which are at Canada Bay Club on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 February featuring performances by Arturo Toscani, Grace Rizzo and Paolo Rajo. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased by calling Co.As.It on (02) 9564 0744.
Drummoyne Community Centre
The Drummoyne Community Centre, another recipient of the Club’s funding, provides transport to and from the Centre as well as tours of the local area in their mini bus for senior citizens. This allows them to get out and about easily and meet at the Centre to socialise and take part in the activities they organise, such as arts and crafts.
Breakfast Point Men’s Shed
Canada Bay Club donates to both the Breakfast Point Men’s Shed and Five Dock Men’s Shed. These sheds provide the opportunity for men who enjoy working with their hands to continue to do so if they no longer have a shed at home. The Club buys new tools, which are then used when building community projects for local schools, kindergartens, hospitals and rehabilitation centres.
Stitching Hearts
The talented quilters at Stitching Hearts craft beautiful handmade blankets for residents of nursing homes in the local area as well as Concord Meals on Wheels, among many other organisations. The Canada Bay Club proudly supports their generous, detailed work. Read more about their projects and their history on our blog.
Inner West Neighbour Aid
An important local organisation, Inner West Neighbour Aid provides support to elderly members of the community so they can continue to live independently. There are over a hundred people in the Inner West Neighbour Aid community who are in the over-90s bracket. Having lived through two World Wars, the Great Depression and more than 23 Prime Ministers they more than deserve to be honoured. Services and programs for Inner West seniors include gardening, assisted online shopping, dog walking and many others. For volunteering opporutunities, you can visit the website here.
Seniors at the Club
Here at Canada Bay Club we offer a wide variety of activities for our mature members to get involved in. Our Seniors’ Exercise Classes, for example are held every weekday. We donate money to the The Strathfield Bridge Club who play bridge in the auditorium on Mondays and Thursdays. Canada Bay Club also sponsors the Acli Bocce club and they play bocce in the Club. In The Brasserie we offer a discounted Seniors Group Deal for a minimum of 10 people. Why not get a group of friends together and come down for you own Seniors Festival celebration?
Canada Bay Club’s senior members are a special part of our community and we love welcoming them and assisting them in any way we can. We will continue to provide valuable funds to the organisations that support these members via the Club Grants scheme. We hope you enjoy the Seniors Festival 2020!
