As part of the Morrison Government’s Seniors Connected Program, 12 communities across Australia have received funding to create a ‘village hub’ in their area to try to alleviate loneliness and social isolation in older Australians.
Hornsby Shire Council and Sydney North Health Network have partnered to establish the Hornsby Village Hub together with community partners; Fusion, Rotary Club of Hornsby District, PCYC, Ku-ring-gai Neighbourhood Centre, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, Northern Sydney Local Health District Aboriginal Health Services, IABBV Hindi School, Women’s Shed and Ku-ring-gai Police Area Command. It was launched on Tuesday.
One in four Australians aged 65 and over lives alone, with this ratio expected to continue to 2036, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Australia’s Report in 2017.
The grants for the village hubs went to:
- Bolton Clarke for a hub at Calboolture, 50km north of Brisbane;
- COTA SA for a Goolwa Victor Harbor Village Hub, 85km south of Adelaide;
- GRAI for a Village Hub led by and for older LGBTI people;
- Gurehlgam Corporation (NSW) for a hub at Clarence Valley Aboriginal Healing Centre in Grafton, in regional NSW;
- Huon Valley Council for a hub and spoke model based in Huonville, 38km south of Hobart;
- Macedon Ranges Shire Council for a hub in Central Victoria,
- Orange City Council for a Seniors Hub in regional NSW;
- Pingelly Somerset Alliance to expand their work to enable older people in small, isolated communities in the Wheatbelt of WA to stay living safely at home.
“Being part of the Hub means members are an active part of their community. Becoming involved in events and social activities, along with having access to workshops and participating in a range of social and cultural activities, means you have greater opportunities to make friends and actively age, so you stay health and well,” said Sydney North Health Network CEO Lynelle Hales.
What a great initiative.
