We’re at Government House in Melbourne and we're celebrating Senior Awards. Which is terribly, terribly exciting. And to win an award is just the thrill of my life. It really is.
It's a huge honour. Very proud. They recognise us, we do a lot of work for free. It's very exciting to get an award for doing something you really love doing. You know, you're not getting paid, you do it because you want to do it, because you love to do it. And I think it's really, really excellent, that you get an award for that just for your own wellbeing, but also your family.
I've been the coordinator of the Parkinson’s Support Group, probably for 16 years. I have Parkinson's. I was diagnosed in the year 2000 and I just felt something needed to be done There’s too many people lonely with Parkinson's. So I’ve tried to get them together, try and beat that loneliness with them.
Well, I’m 91 and when I was 75, I was going to exercise classes for people over 55. And then suddenly they said, well everybody can go home, we’re not having it anymore. And we all said, ‘No, no, no’. And so I went off to TAFE and became Cert III fitness instructor.Â
We kept it going. We had around about 20-30 members then and now we've got over 90. Luckily, they don’t all come at the same time!
I run a little group called Ageing Disgracefully, for LGBTQI community, as well as just people in general, just anybody ageing who is lonely, who needs a talk, who just needs to catch up for a cuppa.
A lot of people did have difficulty after Covid of coming back and meeting someone again. What if I walk into this room and I get introduced and I forget everybody's name and no one talks to me?
But the other really exciting part to me was that inside the group, people have made friends with each other. It makes me cry sometimes because it's just so important for us all to have each other.
I started seven clubs by myself with my money. and a lot of friends in Clayton, in Reservoir, a bit everywhere. I send people to Italy for free.
I love to volunteer because that helps people. I do volunteering for the temple. I help do the cooking. And I do the volunteer for the senior citizens group. They have a place to come to play together, do activities and feel happy. That is good for their health.
I do many activities, like I do gentle exercise, singing and line dancing. And so the total, I’ve volunteered about over twenty years. If we didn't have volunteers, I think half the world would stop.
Reviewed 03 June 2024