Dear Friends

Congratulations to all who helped with the big events last week. AGM was Tuesday, Staying Safe Online was Wednesday, Trivia Afternoon on Thursday and a Digital Skills activity on Friday.

Members elected to the Board were David Lamont, Sharon Sams, Patricia Gration, Sena Athugalage, Michael McGurgan, Tery Anstey, Raema Blake, Linda Shaw, Andrea Dean and Val Roots. New members names are in bold print. Congratulations and thank you!

Volunteers from Telstra attended on the Avoiding Scams session on Wednesday and Cristina Cawkell gave a clear and entertaining presentation with great tips. Here is a link to her presentation.

Thirty members and guests attended the inaugural trivia afternoon on Thursday. The competition was intense between the teams! “Trivia Tragics” won by one point with their knowledge of fashion trends (legwarmers) proving helpful. A tasty high tea, an entertaining compere, interesting and varied questions plus a great organising team meant it was a successful gathering. The next Trivia Afternoon will be 16 November from 1 pm. Please come along! RSVP here.

As you might have seen on the TV news, Senator Amanda Rishworth and Alicia Payne MP visited the Centre on Friday. The purpose was to announce the extension of the Be Connected digital skills program. This means there will be four more years of support for over 50s to stay safer and be more confident going online. Thank to you all who made this quickly planned event so successful, especially our partners at The Good Things Foundation. (You are welcome to access Be Connected anywhere and anytime to support your own learning.)

November birthday lunch is scheduled for 9 November. Roast lamb is on the menu followed by cheesecake. RSVP here.

November Lunch and Learning, 23 November at 12.30 pm is being presented by OPALS (Older Persons ACT Legal Service) which is a specialist service within Legal Aid ACT to provide flexible legal assistance for issues that affect older people in the ACT. RSVP here. If you can’t attend but need some help, call 1800 353 374 or (02) 6243 3436 or visit https://legalaidact.org.au/opals

Christmas Markets will be held 1 December from 4 pm-7 pm. We have performers and crafts people arranged for presentations during the afternoon. We have some craft items in various stages of completion. However, we need more volunteers and more items. Can you cook? Create? Serve? Manage a stall? There are lists on the Dining Room wall. Sign up please!

One stall at the Christmas Markets will be recycled gifts. These will be new/unused but unwanted items. For example, I’m donating a boxed set of wine glasses. Others have already donated beautiful linen tea towels and a package of herbal teas with a tea infuser. Look around in your cupboards and see if you have items that you might donate. Do a little decluttering! The items will make economical Christmas gifts as we will sell them at only a portion of their original value.

Members of the Board have proposed that the funds raised from the Christmas Markets goes toward purchasing comfortable chairs and other furniture. We hope to be able to create a couple of areas for sitting and chatting or doing jigsaws/board games.

You can now book and pay for Christmas Lunch at Gunghalin Lakes ($30), 7 December 12 pm. Remember if you need transport, let me know as there are members ready to help with transport.

We all value the friendly atmosphere at the Centre. However, we do have to take safety very seriously, especially in the kitchen and this means limiting access to the kitchen. There is now a trolley in the dining room for dirty dishes and I’ve put a microwave at the back of the Dining Room for the use of members. Thank you for your cooperation.

Best wishes to all

Andrea Dean

Manager