News & Blog

Helping End Loneliness 

As the CEO of Age Concern Wellington Region, I often think that if I could just get those not yet at retirement age to imagine life at 85, many more people would want to reach out and connect with seniors. But it’s hard for us to imagine ourselves being a little bit older than we

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Mavis – Community Connector 

If Mavis isn’t lawn bowling, swimming, taking voice lessons, or participating in a Steady As You Go exercise class, she’s probably home baking the most delicious scones you’ve ever tasted. Or perhaps she’s sewing or knitting a useful gift for a friend. Despite Mavis being nearly 84 years old, she keeps more active than most. 

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Keep flies out this summer

New Zealand is home to 3000 native fly species in addition to several introduced species. Most are harmless and many are beneficial, acting as important pollinators. Consumer NZ suggests it is better to keep flies out rather than use non-specific insect sprays which can kill some insects that are beneficial. The flies that cause us

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New Zealand’s Ageing Population

The issue of New Zealand’s Ageing Population There are currently over 12,000 seniors living alone in Wellington. With the 2023 Census right around the corner, Age Concern Wellington Region CEO Stephen Opie is expecting this number to jump. Wellington is a popular region for seniors to live in. Kapiti Coast, for example, has one of

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Volunteers Going Above and Beyond

This year, Age Concern Wellington Region introduced the ‘Outstanding Volunteer Award’, designed to recognise and appreciate Age Concern’s volunteers who go the extra mile for seniors. Two volunteer Christmas parties were held at the end of November, in Stokes Valley and Johnsonville. Three amazing recipients were presented with awards at these events – Joan Robertshawe,

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Health Star Ratings for Packed Food

Health Star Ratings have been designed to provide “at a glance” information to reflect the nutrition value and healthiness of packaged foods. The system uses a rating scale of 0.5 to 5 stars — more stars mean a healthier food choice. The system was upgraded on 14 November with lower ratings for products with higher

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Seniors’ Seminar Day

Age Concern Wellington Region contributed to Wellington City Seniors’ Week this year by hosting many events, including a special Seniors’ Seminar Day. The aim was to develop an event to spotlight Seniors’ Week and help seniors connect with one another while learning some new things. Several experts presented talks on four separate topics of interest

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Companion Walking Service Celebrates Third Birthday with National Award

Age Concern Wellington Region received a Golden Foot Walking Award for its innovative Companion Walking Service this week, a perfect way to celebrate the service’s third anniversary. Living Streets Aotearoa awarded the Golden Foot to Age Concern staff at a special ceremony. The Award this year is made by Global Wood Rework (Wellington) from recycled

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Getting to grips with technology

As access to information, banking, shopping, and so much more moves increasingly online, the digital divide grows. Quite a few local banks are closed, and online payments have become the norm. This leaves many seniors in the Wellington Region digitally excluded. When seniors call Age Concern, their concerns are often linked with technology. Diane Turner,

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