Held in Lismore at Lismore Community Health (102 High Street) and at the David Newman Centre in Camperdown, the Social Support Groups are open to anyone to attend and cost $10 per session. (People over 65 need an active My Aged Care referral – can be provided to obtain a referral if you need – and Home Care package clients can fund the cost of the social support group to reduce the $10 cost. NDIS participants under 65 are also welcome to join and attend).
The groups meet on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday in Camperdown between 10:30 and 2:30 pm, with a Men’s bus trip every second Thursday. Groups in Lismore meet on Mondays and Wednesdays between 10:30 and 2:30 pm with a men’s bus trip once a month on Thursdays.
Activities include: bus trips around the district, Warrnambool shopping trips, trips to Ballarat to the Begonia Festival, trips to Geelong to the Sphinx hotel for concerts, Christmas shopping trips. Each month there are in-house sessions including morning melodies, community lunches and morning teas, croquet, bowls, session with the local childcare centre, celebrations for mothers/ fathers day, Melbourne Cup events, holiday celebrations, craft sessions, fitness classes, bingo and board games and even cardio drumming.
Current members say that their favourite thing about the group sessions are “not having to think about what I am having for lunch or morning tea, and having it prepared for me,” and that “the staff are friendly, it’s a group of people getting together to enjoy each other’s company and talk about our little problems”.
If you would like to get involved and join any one of the sessions on offer call the Lismore team on 55583000 or the Camperdown team on 55937364.