In this issue:
- Meet the Ministers
- What we’ve done: President’s report 2020-21
- If you missed our AGM: Daran Ponter’s talk
- Subscriptions
- Future NZ
- Paying your bills at the Post Office
- Wanting a job done?
- From Age Concern: driving courses, safety in the home, sleep problems, City Gallery tours
- Financial statement
Meet the Ministers at our public meeting
Grey Power Wellington Central is hosting a public meeting with speakers Hon Grant Robertson, Minister of Finance and MP for Wellington Central, and Hon Ayesha Verrall, Minister for Seniors on Friday 2 July at 11am. The Ministers will talk about current issues and concerns for older people with time for questions.
Meeting details:
Friday 2 July, 11am-12:00pm, Lecture Theatre GBLT3, Victoria University Law School, Old Government Buildings, 55 Lambton Quay, Pipitea, Wellington 6011. The entrance is opposite the Cenotaph and the the path to the room will be signposted.
Please RSVP to president@greypowerwellington.org.nz by Tuesday 29 June 2021 for priority seating.
Next up
Grey Power Federation president Jan Pentecost is guest speaker at on Wednesday 18 August, 10am, at the Tararua Tramping Club, Moncrieff St, Mount Victoria
What we’ve done
President’s annual report 2020-21
We have had a busy year including:
- Leading a presentation to the Wellington City Council on city housing rents.
- In the transport area David Cuthbert worked with group to give feedback on the Regional Council’s transport policy implementation.
- During the Covid-19 lockdown a group of Committee members regularly contacted members who did not have e-mail to check how they were coping and whether they needed assistance.
- Committee members joined the electronic age with every second meeting held over Zoom.
- Along with a number of other associations we decided not to attend the Federation AGM in Auckland in (what month?) given the risks around Covid.
- The election of our first national female President Jan Pentecost has led to significant efficiencies and and a more positive outlook within Grey Power.
- At the zone level Lew Findlay took up the position as our representative on the Federation Board.
- Wellington Central’s Colleen Singleton became Deputy Zone Chairperson.
I will not be standing for re-election due to illness. Also my wife and I have recently moved outside of Wellington Central area. A big thank you thank all who served with me on the committee over the past year and I wish the incoming committee well.
Lloyd Falck
If you missed our AGM . . .
The meeting (month) welcomed Daran Ponter, Chairperson of the Greater Wellington Regional Council, as guest speaker. At the time NZBus drivers were on strike, causing problems on some bus routes. Daran explained the requirements for service contracts for greater Wellington buses, including issues related to the NZBus and Tramways Union and the reasons why bus drivers were on strike. He answered questions about public transport services and members gained a better understanding of these issues.
Daran also touched on three other issues:
- climate change, including being carbon neutral by 2030
- meeting Government goals
- adapting and responding to the impact of COVID-19.
Read the full speech at https://greypowerwellington.org.nz/talk-by-daran-ponter-at-our-agm/
Colleen Singleton
Subscriptions
Most members paid their subscriptions after we sent out requests with the last newsletter. We’ll send out reminders shortly to those still outstanding. Thanks to all members who have paid.
Future New Zealand
Here’s a summary of a fascinating talk by the Director of the Office for Seniors, Diane Turner, (her office advises Government on matters affecting older people).
Our population is ageing: sometime in the next decade there will be more people aged 65+ than children aged 0–14 years. The older population is also getting more diverse, and starting to reflect that of Aotearoa, New Zealand as a whole. A growing proportion of seniors live in rentals, and those who own homes are increasingly reaching retirement with mortgages to pay. NZ Super has been calculated on retirees owning their home and having paid off their mortgages, so many people may be forced to keep working.
We need to change the conversation about older people – it is important that older people are not just viewed as an increasing cost for society but are also valued for their on-going contributions.
Our population is ageing
For those 65+ that own their homes – the numbers with mortgages is increasing
Older people will also be contributing: in 2036 it’s calculated that people 65+ will spend $56 billion, do $25 billion worth of voluntary or unpaid work, and pay $13 billion in taxes (in 2016 dollars)
I’m really excited to talk to you about our strategy for an ageing population – Better Later Life
The Office for Seniors also developed The Better Later Life, He Oranga Kaumatua strategy. Launched in November 2019, it came after 18 months of talking older people about what they wanted to see in a new strategy. The Office is implementing the strategy and developing the Better Later Life Action Plan, due to be released mid year (see https://superseniors.msd.govt.nz/about-superseniors/ageing-population/index.html )
The main areas of focus for the Action Plan are employment, housing, and digital inclusion/skills.
Outside of Better Later Life there are a range of other projects the Office works on to make Aotearoa, New Zealand a great place to age.
The Office for Seniors is improving digital skills and inclusion of older people through their Digital Literacy Training for Seniors programme. It helps seniors with the skills and knowledge to benefit from the digital world and to keep up with the technological change.
Seniors are consistently among the most digitally excluded group. While the use of technology among seniors is growing, this is still falling with age. For seniors to benefit from the digital world, they need more than basic computer skills.
They need to know how to use different technologies/devices, connect to the internet in different ways, and carry out online activity and access services safely with trust and confidence.
The Office for Seniors is also promoting the free 24/7 Elder Abuse helpline (0800 3266865). As many as one in ten older people in New Zealand will experience some kind of elder abuse and the majority of cases will go unreported.
The Office also raises awareness about EPAs (Enduring Power of Attorney) as this means older people can have peace of mind that they’ve decided, ahead of time, who to trust to make decisions if they can’t decide for themselves.
We work to keep people up to date and aim to be a trusted source of information for older people.
The SuperSeniors Newsletter is sent out bi-monthly to over 350,000 email addresses with an editorial from the Minister for Seniors and a range of stories, including material from NGOs and other Government agencies. For example, last year the newsletter promoted ACC’s app Nymbl, which is designed to help improve and maintain the balance of older adults.
You can sign up for the newsletter on the SuperSeniors website (www.superseniors.msd.govt.nz ) where you will find helpful information for seniors. The website is being updated it to make it easier to find what you are looking for. We’re also on Facebook, Twitter and Neighbourly digital platforms.
A range publications are freely available on our website including copies of our strategy and brochures about enduring power of attorney. The SuperGold website has also been refreshed to make it easier for people to find discounts near them.
Since the launch of the SuperGold app 100,000 users have downloaded the app and the website has had more than 317,000 unique users.
Covid-19
Over last year’s lockdown one of their major roles was to highlight the concerns of seniors throughout COVID-19.
The Office reached out to ngos and groups, like GreyPower to get information from the frontlines about what they were hearing from older people in the community, sending out six special edition e-newsletters with information specifically for Seniors. They’ve also developed COVID-19 indicators to track the impact on older people.
The Office is are working with the Minister for Seniors, the Ministry of Health and Department of Prime Minster and Cabinet on the vaccine roll-out and communications around the vaccine so all older people get the information.
Paying your bills at the post office
If you’re not interested in learning to use the internet, especially anything to do with banking, do not despair. You can pay your bills at NZ Post. Take along your cash, EFTPOS card, or credit card and the account number of the person or organisation you want to pay. For regular bills (eg rates) it’s best to set it up at your bank.
- NZ Post Shop Manners Street
- NZ Post Shop Johnston Street
- NZ Post House PostCentre Plus
- NZ Post Shop Kilbirnie
- NZ Post Shop Karori Central
- Khandallah NZ Post & Kiwibank
Wanting a job done?
Occasionally we get asked for a recommendation for a tradesperson. We don’t have a list of people but it may be worth considering the following firms that employ older tradespeople:
Grey Skills, (04) 387-2816 https://www.greyskillswn.com/
Senior Skills: 04 – 586 7500 http://seniorskills.co.nz/
From Age Concern
Staying safe course for older drivers
Staying Safe is a classroom-based refresher workshop for senior road users. The workshop aims to maintain and improve safe driving practices and increase knowledge of other transport options available to help senior road users remain safely mobile. Courses are planned on several dates and different locations around the region.
Next courses:
16 June 2021, 9.30 am in Petone
26 July 2021, 10 am in Seatoun
Please call 04 499 6648 for more information and to register.
Safety in the home
This workshop is designed to help seniors reduce falls in the home through hazard identification. We will cover topics such as how to prevent slips and falls in the home, navigating stairs, bathroom safety and how to reduce hazards such as tripping and slipping.
Tuesday 6 July – Seatoun Village Hall
Please call 04 499 6645 for more information, times, and to register.
Trouble sleeping?
Join us for an informative presentation on sleep – brought to you by Dr Rosie Gibson, Senior Lecturer, Sleep/Wake Research Centre, in collaboration with U3A and Age Concern Wellington Region.
Thursday, 8 July in Island Bay
Please call 04 499 6645 for more information and to register
Age Concern
City Gallery tour
In collaboration with Wellington City Gallery and Nikau Café, Age Concern Wellington Region is happy to offer a guided tour of the exhibitions, followed by afternoon tea in the café.
Please call Kirsten on 04 499 6645 or email connectwell@acwellington.org.nz to reserve your space.
Thursday, 17th June 2021, 1.30pm
Thursday, 15th July 2021, 1.30pm
Financial statement
WELLINGTON CENTRAL GREY POWER | ||||
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE | ||||
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021 | ||||
2020/2021 | 2019/2020 | |||
Revenue | 8464.74 | 9614 | ||
Expenses | 6220.45 | 7092 | ||
Surplus | 2244.29 | 2522 | ||
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION | ||||
AS AT 31 MARCH 2O21 | ||||
2020/2021 | 2019/2020 | |||
Current Assets | 26483.51 | 21105.86 | ||
Less | ||||
Current Liabilities | 4033.36 | 900 | ||
Nett Assets | 22450.15 | 20205.86 | ||
Funds Movement | ||||
Balance from previous year | 20205.86 | 17683.86 | ||
Surplus this year | 2244.29 | 2522 | ||
Total Funds 31/3/21 | 22450.15 | 20205.86 | ||
This a summary report | ||||
Full report available on application |