Walnuts aid Alzheimers Gisborne-Tairāwhiti fundraising while providing client stimulation

Sherwood Club clients Danny and Bruce crack open walnuts as part of an Alzheimers Gisborne-Tairāwhiti fundraiser. The walnuts, donated by a farm at Ōtoko, are for sale in 200-gram packets for $5.

Everyone loves walnuts.

And this is probably why the humble and healthy walnut has been a worthy fundraiser for Alzheimers Gisborne-Tairāwhiti for more than 30 years.

The organisation receives Government funding to support its Sherwood Club, which has 25 clients, but it also provides unfunded services for another 260.

This has led to some creative fundraising ideas over the years.

Alzheimers Gisborne-Tairāwhiti manager Tracy Robinson said the Country Women’s Institutes started donating walnuts to the organisation decades ago.

“They still support us with providing a cooked lunch for our clients once a month.”

Robinson said the number of donors from the renamed New Zealand Federation of Women’s Institutes had diminished over time, but an Ōtoko resident remained a major contributor, continuing the support of her late mother-in-law.

“There are quite a few walnut trees on the Ōtoko farm. They’re really good-quality walnuts.”

The Ōtoko farming family had perfected the timing of picking the walnuts before they turned mouldy or rotten.

The nuts are delivered to the Sherwood Club in April and are dried over a couple of months.

“We’ve got a drying rack out in the shed – it’s quite extensive," Robinson said.

Sherwood Club members break the shells open and retain the good walnuts.

Volunteers provide quality control and bag the walnuts into 200-gram packets, which retail for $5.

They usually sell out of the packets by October.

“They are healthy, organic and local,” Robinson said. “People really like that. Some regular walnut customers are disappointed when we sell out.”

The Sherwood Club’s 25 clients received cognitive stimulation services.

They attend the club three times a week and engage in creative and fun activities such as cooking, crafts, puzzles, games and painting.

Sherwood Club client Anne said she liked cracking open the walnuts because it gave her something productive to do.

Robinson said another client had his own walnut cracker and “really enjoys doing the walnuts”.

“It makes them feel like they are doing something for the community.”

Alzheimers Gisborne-Tairāwhiti manager Tracy Robinson with bags of top-quality, locally sourced walnuts, which retail for $5 and are a worthy fundraiser for the health provider.

Alzheimers Gisborne-Tairāwhiti holds various fundraising activities that help support its 260 other clients and carers.

“We are here for all people affected by dementia,” Robinson said. “People who care for someone in their family need our support as much as the person with dementia.”

That support includes programmes such as a Carers Support Group, who meet monthly and cover peer support, education and socialisation; the Good Grief Programme, which covers grieving for a person with dementia and grieving when bereaved; and the Active Brain Network for 14 people with early-onset dementia and another 45 people with dementia who live at home.

Other popular fundraising campaigns are Spud in a Bucket.

Alzheimers Gisborne-Tairāwhiti is based at Gisborne Hospital. It is in the first building past the mental health and addictions care facility where the maternity hospital used to be.