PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Since being elected as your President at the 2017 AGM it has been a busy and productive year.
The Nelson Grey Power Committee and our Office Administrator, Kim Harding, have been a pleasure to work with.
Thank you to Kevin Gardener, Vice President and Zone Director, for being an effective link for us to other Grey Power Associations in the Top of the South and with national Federation.
Thank you to George Truman, our Treasurer, whose particular interest this year has been seeking an effective bus service, and advising the committee on all things economic and financial.
George was instrumental in organizing the very successful political meetings at the time of the General Elections.
Thank you to Linda O’Dea, who as Secretary, has faithfully kept our minutes and handled correspondence. Linda also volunteers in the Nelson Grey Power office and has given a huge amount of time to our “Out and Abouts” aimed at keeping members and attracting new ones.
Thank you to Pauline Daly, who as a member of the committee, and a Nelson Grey Power office volunteer, has focused this year on documentation of office procedures, and at membership recruitment on the “Out and Abouts.” Both Pauline and Linda have continued to represent us at the Positive Ageing Forum.
Thank you to Bob Hancock, who with the portfolio of transport and Nelson City Council, has been instrumental in maintaining our good working relationship with the Nelson Mayor and CEO and in providing sound advice on transport issues.
Thank you Pam Coltman, who as a committee member has liaised with Tasman District Council and
shown a particular interest in preventing elder abuse.
Thank you to Anne White, who has now completed her first year as a committee member. Anne
has held the aged care portfolio and has also supported community housing initiatives.
Thank you to Sue Sara, who has also now completed her first year as a committee member. Sue
has focused on the 50 plus age group and employment issues. She has also represented Nelson Grey Power on the Age Connect project.
Thank you to Nigel Bailey, who has continued to maintain our website as an off committee member.
We do appreciate Nigel’s contribution.
Thank you to Jo Biggs, our database volunteer and Fiona Collins, our filing volunteer, and a huge thank you to the twenty office volunteers and our magazine folding volunteers who are so vital to the ongoing success of Nelson Grey Power.
Particular thanks to Kim Harding, our Office Administrator, for her major contribution to keeping the wheels of Nelson Grey Power turning. There is so much work going on behind the scenes to make sure that we continue to deliver a good service to our members.
Nelson Grey Power has maintained its membership and continues to be the largest Grey Power Association in New Zealand. We still need to give priority however to recruiting more members in the 50 -65 year age group.
We continue to be active in our Grey Power Zone, Zone 5, and in the national Grey Power Federation.
We will again be sending two delegates to Federation AGM later this month, and also, because the AGM is being held nearby in Blenheim , we are able to support a number of Observers from our Nelson Grey Power Committee and membership to attend as well.
One of our key strategies this past year has been to meet and listen to our members and to keep them well informed of our activities. This has included our implementing a monthly e-newsletter, increasing the Grey Power articles within our quarterly magazine, implementing weekly coffee mornings for members to meet with committee members, and undertaking a survey of our members via our magazine, providing opportunity for all members to participate. In February we held a new initiative for members – the Nelson Grey Power Picnic, on Waitangi Day.
Your Nelson Grey Power committee has continued to be strong advocates for members in meetings with the Mayors of Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council, and in meetings with Nelson Marlborough Health Board Chairman, CEO and health providers, including advocacy regarding home care services and the meals on wheels service. We provided written submissions and spoke to them on Freedom Camping and the Top of the South Transport Plan.
We also participated in workshops on Nelson City Council’s Strategic Population Plan and in Age Connect – a project aimed at addressing loneliness among the elderly.
Parliamentary Elections were held in 2017, and prior to the election Nelson Grey Power hosted meetings with political leaders so that members could listen and have questions addressed. We were pleased that National, Labour, New Zealand First, and the Green Party participated in these meetings which were much appreciated and attended by our Nelson Grey Power members.
This year we have sought to establish Nelson Grey Power as a Charity and improved our financial reporting and continue to make improvements to operation of the Association.
We have also been successful in providing a public profile to Nelson Grey Power through some items in the local newspapers and on radio.
A priority for this year is the development of an improved discount book process with the aim
of the discount book being published annually. The discount book remains a vital attraction for people to join our Association.
Thank you to Nelson Grey Power members for all their feedback and support during the year and your Nelson Grey Power Committee, and last but not least, Kim Harding and all our wonderful volunteers who are the heart of Nelson Grey Power.
Christine Tuffnell
President
Nelson Grey Power Association
14 April 2018
Comments are closed.