Welcome to you all.
Wonderful to see you all here under current RED ALERT.
What a year we have all been through.
To those who have lost family and friends, I extend my heartfelt sympathy to you. Covid has sadly ruled our lives and I feel it will continue to do so for some time yet. We must look out for each other. Sadly so many of our seniors have shut themselves away. Fearful to venture out. Frightened by the media and so concerned with surroundings. Attending a Webinar on Senior Mental Health recently, this was one of the things discussed. I hope that if you are aware of someone that is frightened of the current times we are in, please support them and talk with them.
Moving on to a more positive note, you are probably aware that we have successfully obtained Charity status. A huge thank you to Christine Tuffnell and Linda O’Dea for all their assistance in getting this started. To Christine, Thank you for answering my call for help when the papers kept coming for more and more answers. At times I felt overwhelmed with it all.
Applications are under way to obtain funding through relevant organisations. Mayor Reese is looking at sourcing funding for a defibrillator for the office.
Of a big concern is our current committee numbers. Or lack of them. We have a membership to the of March of 5668 members. Meetings are once a month for a couple of hours. We are in serious need of a Treasurer, thanks to George Truman for stepping back in to do our audit and budget for the next year.
We are facing an increase in Capitation Fees that will put a strain on our budget so funding where we can will be most important. We have not moved to raise membership this year, so where $16,000 will come from is a big ask.
I welcome Maureen to the committee. Great to have her aboard, but still happy to open our arms to a couple more.
Big thanks to Kim our office admin who negotiated a change from DX Mail back to NZ Post for our magazine resulting in a substantial saving. Every little helps.
This may have to be looked at in the future and maybe move to 6 monthly editions.
So what is Grey Power ?
Membership is open to those 50 and above. Not sure what to get the kids for Christmas. How about a membership to Grey Power. During the current fuel price hike, the discounts offered meant an all-important saving to so many.
Important to note that in joining at 50 you have 15 years of savings until receiving your Gold Card. Someone recently cancelled their membership because they said they could use their Gold Card at Mega 10. That’s fine, but little did they realise the discount is greater with Grey Power than Gold Card.
Increase in capitation fees comes after Kiwibank withdrew their sponsorship. We need to support our National Federation in their continued battle on our behalf in Parliament.
Our regular meetings with both council Mayors have continued when possible. These are all important in putting your concerns direct to those at the top. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if there is anything you feel needs addressing and would like answer to.
We still have our all-important Handyman List available to members. If you are a retired plumber, builder, painter etc and would like to make yourself available, please contact us with your details so we can add you to our list.
This had been a Grey Power Nelson initiative for many years now and something we are proud of.
Also remember to use your discount book when looking for a service or business.
Finally I wish to once again thank my committee for their continued support. At times the work load gets a bit over whelming but there is always someone nearby to bounce ideas off and get assistance.
Kevin, Vice President and National Board Member. Pamela, Secretary. Pat for your great help with regards health board meetings and to Maureen who has stepped into her portfolio running with her first meeting being by zoom. A whole new learning curve.
Last but by no means least, huge thanks to our office admin Kim. She is the one that keeps the office functioning. With ups and downs of Covid she has put in a lot of additional time.
And to the volunteers who give their time, I can’t thank you enough. Those few hours each day sitting at the front desk and be the face of Grey Power is so much appreciated Big thanks to you one and all.
Sue Sara
President
Nelson Grey Power Association
2022
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