Thriving through connection

Age Concern Taranaki is a charitable organisation dedicated to helping older people live valued and meaningful lives in an inclusive society. Its focus is on equity, respect, dignity and well-being.

“Our primary contract is the Elder Abuse Response Service, but we’ve also identified social connection as a major need.

“Social isolation is huge for our older people, so we offer in-home and out of home social connection and health promotion exercise,” said Bex Caldwell, Service Provision Lead for Health Promotion and Social Connection.

The Toi Foundation grant has enabled Age Concern Taranaki to run an extended range of social interaction and exercise programs. 

“Before applying to Toi, we only had one coffee group going. But now we stretch right around the mountain throughout north, south and coastal Taranaki,” said Bex.

Age Concern Taranaki’s initiatives now cater for more than 500 people. They include music groups, exercise groups, Warm Up Wednesday, where people enjoy soup and toast and activities, guest speakers, coffee groups, and outings.

“We’ve just started a men’s group in the last six months which has been a real benefit for the men in our community,” said Bex.

“People say, ‘Age Concern Taranaki is like my family. If I wasn’t coming here, I don’t know where I would be.’

"They start building relationships and then continue them outside the organisation too, going out for lunch, helping each other out with car rides, going to the supermarket and so on. People report all the time that it’s made such a difference to their lives, when before they were so isolated and lonely.”