Whanganui's Hakeke St Community Centre hosts Age Friendly Programme

Jane Bilderbeck is taking registrations for the Age Friendly Programme to be held in Hakeke St Library. Photo / Laurel Stowell

A Whanganui East charitable trust is beginning 2020 with a programme to show older people what services they can access and make new skills available.

The Age Friendly Programme is a new venture for the Hakeke St Community Centre, formerly known as the Whanganui Advocacy and Support Trust, manager Jane Bilderbeck said.

The name was changed to better reflect what happens at the complex.

The new course is a way to help and connect with older people. It starts on February 20 and will run for nine weeks at 1pm-2.30pm on Thursdays at the Hakeke St Library.

Each session will have a talk by a service provider, followed by discussion, questions, a cuppa and a chance for people aged 60 and over to chat.

The final session on April 2, titled Conscious Ageing, will be led by Anna Bradbury. It could help people who are preparing for retirement and feel like they have been "thrown on the scrapheap".

"It's about creating a new vision for getting older," Bilderbeck said.

A session with the ANZ bank will demystify internet banking, and the Ministry of Social Development and Whanganui People's Centre will talk about entitlements. SeniorNet, Meals on Wheels, Neighbourhood Watch and Police will run other sessions.

People can go to as many or few sessions as they please but Bilderbeck needs to know how many will attend. To register for the programme, ring her on 022 689 2459.

The centre is open from 9am to 1pm Monday to Friday, and the Hakeke St Library is one of its attractions.

The library celebrated its first birthday on January 25. It hosts about 500 people a month. Access to the internet is a drawcard for many of them.

The centre also has 23 volunteers, a community garden, clubs for games, craft and books, and it runs parenting courses. A Justice of the Peace is present at 10am-11am on the fourth Thursday of each month, and it has rooms where meetings are held.

Its funding comes from a variety of trusts and foundations.