We recently had our AgeConnect Champions Awards which celebrated and recognised the many wonderful people, businesses and organisations who help to keep our older community members feeling connected. They help to provide older people with the opportunity to feel part of our communities which contributes to their wellbeing. These awards often reveal acts of generosity and kindness that sometimes the wider public do not know about.
Marnie Brown, AgeConnect Coordinator, was delighted with the success of the awards. ‘It was great to come together and celebrate,’ she says. The awards provided the opportunity to people from numerous organisations and businesses across the region to meet, learn about each other and network. One of the highlights for Marnie was seeing the joy on the face of finalists. There were five different categories in the awards with up to three finalist named, one category winner and an overall winner.
The Overall Winner was the Brightwater Senior Exercise Group which was nominated in two of the five categories. This group stated in July 2020 to encourage movement, mobility, and social interaction amongst Seniors in Brightwater, and it has been a wonderful success. Led by Wanderers Community Sports club, previously Wanderers Rugby club and under the excellent instruction of Jaimee Macdonald it has expanded to three classes per week with over 80 members participating in light movement exercises, catering to a range of older adults and abilities. Improvements in stability and confidence have been outstanding and friendships formed. This group started out small but with the guidance of a great committee and the drive to have an exercise group like no other it has transformed into a vibrant dynamic group making a huge differences to the lives of those involved.
The Awards will run again in the latter part of 2022 so if you see an individual, organisation or business doing amazing things in the community to keep older people connected please let Marnie know on 5447624 ext 5 or ageconnect@ageconcernnt.org.nz.
The Category Winners were:
Community Connections Champion: Stoke Companions
One Person Makes a Difference Champion: Leigh Dalzell
Intergenerational Champion: Nelson College for Girls
Age-Friendly Environment Champion: Coffee on Queen
60+ Employer Champion: Sharon Kenning
Overall Champion:
Brightwater Senior Exercise Group
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