July 2024 marks a key milestone for COTA Victoria and Seniors Rights Victoria in that it’s the first month that our COTA Connects newsletter is being sent exclusively to members of our organisation. To those who’ve recently signed up for membership, and to those who have supported us for some time already, we deeply thank you for your support and decision to be a part of our community for change.
The move to a members-only newsletter follows changes at our SGM in April 2024. We are embarking on this new financial year with a new membership model and framework that we believe will support us to continue to be the peak body for older Victorians and expand our reach and impact. Keep your eyes peeled for further information, opportunities and events as we rollout our individual membership offering, and following that, options for organisations themselves.
It is important to acknowledge that over the last month we celebrated World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, or WEAAD on 15 June. This is a vital day to acknowledge the pernicious issue of elder abuse, and raise awareness so that we can help victim-survivors and, hopefully, prevent it from occurring. We came together on WEAAD — and this year, in the time surrounding it — to promote widespread understanding and acknowledgement of elder abuse as a growing threat to the health and wellbeing of older Victorians.
In 2024, we focused our efforts through the Warm Safe Home Project, which highlights the right of older people to live safely and free from violence and abuse. This year, Seniors Rights Victoria was proud to partner with the Housing for the Aged Action Group and the City of Melbourne to promote the right of older people to feel safe at home, with a great event held at Melbourne Town Hall.
We were particularly pleased to have Minister Ingrid Stitt, the Minister for Ageing, there to launch our Warm Safe Home campaign website, which includes images of Warm Safe Homes made from around the state. I highly urge to visit the campaign website and to check the homes that people of all ages from all across Victoria made, capturing what to them makes a warm, safe home. As it was for the participants, I hope it can be a tool for you to consider the impact of elder abuse on how people experience where they live.
Importantly our work, and campaign, had impact – with the project and our commentary receiving media attention across the state, and even across the country. It is so important that we leverage these opportunities to hide a form of abuse that too many people are just not aware of – including those experiencing it.
July is shaping up to be another busy month for COTA Victoria and Seniors Rights Victoria, with a number of events being held as we finish our 2023/24 work. As we embark into the new financial year, we cannot wait to provide more opportunities for you to engage and input into work through COTA Connects.
Best wishes,
Ben Rogers, Acting CEO of COTA Victoria and Seniors Rights Victoria