Illawarra Group
The SILVERT-OWNS.
Our group began in 1998 and currently has a membership of about 130 women. Our ages range from 58 to early 80s. Membership is open to any woman who is willing to accept she is an "older woman". According to the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC) an older person is over 50 years or 45 if you are an Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander.
Annual membership for our group is $10 per annum , with a $2 fee per meeting to cover venue costs and a quarterly newsletter which keeps members up-to-date with activities at OWN, and in the Illawarra region.
We meet every second Thursday from 10.30am to 12.30pm at Corrimal Community Centre, for a business meeting and/or a guest speaker.
Our goals are to:
- Promote mutual support and companionship/friendship among older women
- Present a positive image of older women in the media and in the community
- Lobby for a fairer deal for older women
- Assist older women to develop skills
Social activities are held on alternative fortnights. These activities include picnics, visits to theatres, restaurants, galleries and cinemas, games videos, and lively discussions at the community centre.
We have an enthusiastic performance group with 11 members called The SILVERTO.W.N.S, who entertain at a wide variety of events in the region. When the group is not performing, they are either rehearsing or holding workshops and producing new material.
Within the main group there are several sub-groups: a play-reading group, a sketching group, a writing group, and a current affairs discussion group. The group also has a free lending library of donated and loaned books which are of interest to our members.
In September 2009 a Wellness Centre was introduced as a project of Illawarra OWN. Operating on Monday and Tuesday of each school term, classes are offered in Tai Chi, International Dancing, Extra Gentle and Gentle Exercises and Argentinean Drumming (Monday) and Thai Yoga and Ukulele on Tuesday. (See more details under Projects.)
Illawarra OWN is a group of vibrant, enthusiastic, 'young' older women, who enjoy the stimulation of being with a group of women of diverse interests and talents. We ensure contact is maintained with ill or lonely members, reminding them that they are not alone, as long as Illawarra OWN is there!
For more information, please contact OWN NSW (02) 9247 7046 or email info@ownnsw.org.au
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