To ensure they are more visible in the new year, the Mitchell’s Plain Older Persons’ Forum is having badges made which members will wear to show they care and represent the needs of the elderly.
The forum includes representatives of various seniors’ groups in the area and forms part of the Western Cape Older Persons’ Forum which helps inform legislation and policies affecting and called for by senior citizens.
The local forum has been further divided to form zones, where smaller groups of senior citizen group representatives can meet and discuss pertinent issues of abuse and their living environments.
Forum chairman Verdun Meyer said they were working towards hosting a Mitchell’s Plain sports festival in October next year.
“There is a lot of work to be done. Seniors love work. They enjoy the City’s Golden Games and national sport,” he said.
Mr Meyer said many of the more than 200 seniors’ clubs in the area did not know about the forum and that the sports day would raise awareness and motivate them to join.
He said they had zone leaders and scribes who were tasked with visiting clubs to increase the forum’s footprint.
Mr Meyer said as chairman he was invited to various club meetings, including those not in Mitchell’s Plain.
“When I go there I am an ambassador for Mitchell’s Plain,” he said.
The forum meets on the last Thursday of the month at 11am. Their next meeting will be on January 24 at Beaconvale Community Frail Care Centre, corner of Pontiac and Rambler streets, Beacon Valley. For more information call Mr Meyer on 073 822 0963.
