The new Centre opens on Wednesday, 29 June, at St Andrew’s Church Hall, 116 Selwyn Ave, Kohimarama, and will operate every Wednesday morning after that from 9.30 am to 12 noon. It will offer a programme of social games, gentle exercise, morning tea, outings and excursions, for $3 per guest. Ample parking is provided, and transport will be available if needed.

 

Part-funded by The Selwyn Foundation, one of New Zealand’s largest charitable providers of aged care services, the Centre is for people over 65 who live alone and may be in need of friendship, help and support. It is open to all, regardless of religious and cultural background, and run by a trained coordinator and a team of volunteers.

 

More than 500 older people with varying levels of independence and mobility now attend one of 25 Selwyn Centres throughout Greater Auckland and in Whangarei each week, and there are plans to open more this year. Those involved with the Centres recognise that loneliness can be a serious health issue for older people, and research indicates that social interaction with others directly influences general health. It can also bring psychological benefits, such as delaying the onset of dementia.

A Selwyn Centre also operates in Meadowbank at St Chad’s Anglican Church, 38 St John’s Rd, every Tuesday and Thursday from 9.30 am to 12 noon.

 

For further details on the Kohimarama Centre, please contact: Janet McCallum. Tel: 521 8993. Mob: 027 262 9099. Email: steedman@ihug.co.nz

 

For the Meadowbank Centre, please contact:  Kirsten Rasmussen. Tel: 521 5013 or 533 9000.