Chance for seniors to connect at expo during special week

IF YOU are retired or about to retire from the workforce, you might be wondering what you might do with yourself.

GET OUT THERE: Seniors Weeks provides the chance to approach later life with different skill sets. Picture: kali9

IF YOU are retired or about to retire from the work force, you might be wondering what you might do with yourself.

A great place to start may be to attend the See, Create, Connect expo, being held at the North Ipswich Reserve Corporate Centre, next Tuesday between 10am-2pm.

The Ipswich City Council event, held in conjunction with U3A Ipswich and West Moreton, will showcase more than 50 stalls by community organisations from across the Ipswich community.

See, Create, Connect will launch the 2018 Seniors Week, a time when older people are recognised for the skills and contributions they have made to this community.

The expo aims for retirees to "see" interesting ideas for enjoying retirement.

It is designed to "create" a life of fun, interest, good people and adventures.

Finally, it can "connect" you with other like-minded people wanting the best out of life.

As US feminist writer Betty Friedan said: "Ageing is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength."

This is the second year of the partnership between U3A and Ipswich Council. It is shaping up to be a great success, with food stalls, a coffee van, and information about keeping you in touch with what is available in the Ipswich area.

University of the Third Age (U3A) is an adult education movement that provides a wide range of intellectually, physically and socially stimulating activities for older people.

It is an organisation run entirely by volunteers, who provide the courses, activities and administration which keeps the membership costs down. It is run by older people for older people.

One of the great things about U3A is that there are no awards, no entry requirements, no exams or any other barriers that prevent older people with limited incomes from joining U3A's self-help education programs.

Seniors Week places the spotlight on seniors and activities that they can become involved with, but it also connects older persons with opportunities outside of this week.

The special week aims to improve community attitudes towards older people and ageing, facilitate community participation and activity by older people, including those from Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

It is designed to enhance community connections and inter-generational relationships with the focus on getting people closer to creating age-friendly communities.

According to all the discussion, creating an age-friendly community is where older people are valued, respected and actively engaged in their community. They can stay in touch with people they care about and find the services and support they need. Age-friendly communities are more liveable for everyone.

The See, Create, Connect expo goes a long way to setting up the vehicle for achieving an age-friendly community within the city of Ipswich.

And you may just find a group that is right for you to join. So go along and say hello.

Originally published as Chance for seniors to connect at expo during special week