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Home > Lifeplus Winter/Spring 2007
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Lifeplus Winter/Spring 2007
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Village Volunteers |
Pay a visit to Australian Unity’s Wahroonga Aged Care facility and you’ll more than likely
come across a few grandparents.
But what might surprise you is that some of these grandparents aren’t residents, they’re members of the Manchester Unity Auxiliary, a small group of volunteers who work tirelessly to brighten the lives of village residents.
The Manchester Unity Auxiliary was formed in 1961 to help care for ageing members. And almost 50 years later its still going strong. Whether you love your happy hour, bingo, or budgerigars, you're bound to find the work of the auxiliary worthwhile.
Sue McLeish, the Village Manager at Wahroonga could not be more grateful for the time and effort put in by the small team of six behind the auxiliary.
"It's wonderful to have such committed and kind-hearted volunteers helping out. Their contribution to the village has been so generous.
"They have helped to raise funds to buy a wheelchair bus to take residents on outings, electrical goods such as TVs, sound systems and cameras, as well as a spa bath and kiosk.
"And we wouldn't have our bird aviary without them. The members have such a positive impact on everyone and generate a truly uplifting atmosphere."
Margaret Paxton has been secretary of the auxiliary for the past 14 years and shows no sign of slowing down. Margaret and husband Ian, both nearing 70, are so dedicated to their work that they regularly drive over an hour to Wahroonga.
"The work we do is so rewarding," says Margaret, "that we hardly notice the drive!"
The auxiliary members put a lot of thought and energy into their efforts at Wahroonga. "We realise that many residents may not be as mobile as they once were. So we worked with the local RSL to construct an ANZAC memorial at the village for residents that weren't quite up to attending the official ceremonies anymore."
But it's not just the big things
"We make sure that every new resident is welcomed with fresh flowers in their room," says Margaret.
"We also create personalised greeting cards for all of the residents for special occasions like birthdays," says Ian.
The auxiliary also holds a monthly 'chat 'n' chew' morning tea. Professional performers often come along and
you're almost always guaranteed a game of bingo.
"Bill Llewellyn is in his eighties and has been involved with the auxiliary since day one," says Margaret.
"He acts as a master of ceremonies at the 'chat 'n' chew, reading out the names of the residents who have celebrated birthdays during the month, followed by a communal singing of happy birthday. As you can imagine, the residents really appreciate the gesture, particularly those without any family."
And if that's not enough, every year the auxiliary also puts on a Christmas party arranging presents for the residents and the staff. But the 'piece de resistance', according to Margaret, is the auxiliary's delicious diabetic fruitcake which is "a real hit amongst the residents."
So how do they do it?
In order to do its great work, the auxiliary implements various fundraising methods. This ranges from running raffles, asking for donations and running themed events such as bowling nights. And, although most were born well before the technological age, the auxiliary members demonstrate impressive computer savvy skills to
help raise money.
"We have put together an online footy tipping competition that anyone can enter. In fact, our five year old grandson is currently in the lead!" says Margaret.
Want to enter the Auxiliary's Footy Tipping Competition?
Well it's not too late. Everyone gets a random pick each round, so it's not too late to enter because the computerised system will randomly pick the rounds you've missed.
It will cost you $10 to enter and the competition is open to everyone. 60 percent of the funds are awarded to the winner and the remaining 40 percent to the Auxiliary.
For more details, contact Wahroonga at wahroongaagedcare@retirementliving.com.au or call us on Freecall 1800 026 388.
Want to get involved?
If you're based in Melbourne and would like to get involved in the auxiliary, Margaret and Ian would love to hear from you.
"The level of involvement is entirely up to the individual," says Margaret.
"It can be as simple as suggesting an idea for fundraising, or as hands on as helping out with the 'chat 'n' chew'."
For more information, please contact Wahroonga at wahroongaagedcare@retirementliving.com.au or call us on Freecall 1800 026 388.
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© 2009 Australian Unity Ltd |
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