WOOLGOOLGA Seniors Centre is the inaugural recipient of the Harbour At Home’s Community Grants Program, receiving $2670 to help the volunteer-run organisation purchase video and audio equipment, share member stories and promote the Centre.
After being at risk of closing in July 2025 due to a lack of board members, the Centre has been brought back onto stable footing through new activities and nurturing the community across Woolgoolga and the 2456 postcode area where, according to the 2021 Census, more than 40 per cent of the population was aged over 50 and more than 20 per cent were aged over 65.
Now a thriving community hub of almost 400 members, the Centre runs around 20 activities each week and is recording more than 1000 member participant visits each month.
Woolgoolga Seniors Centre President, Rod Mackenzie, said the support from Harbour At Home was warmly welcomed.
“Getting a digital camera and microphones opens up a huge range of possibilities for us,” Mr. Mackenzie said.
“We’ll be able to record activities with members, local businesses and people in the community.
“We have members in their 90s with incredible stories, including migration stories and local history.
“We want to capture those stories for families and for the community.
“We’ve been growing really steadily for the last few months, and this grant will enable us to reach more seniors in the community and let them know about everything we’ve got going on.”
The Centre offers a welcoming place for older locals to connect, learn, and stay active, with weekly activities including exercise classes, craft, knitting, quilting, table tennis, indoor bowls, Scrabble, mahjong, and regular morning teas.
It is entirely run by volunteers, with the board and volunteer management group contributing more than 300 unpaid hours each month.
Harbour At Home general manager, Graham Shanahan, said Woolgoolga Seniors Centre was a fitting first recipient for the Community Grants Program.
“Woolgoolga Seniors Centre is exactly the kind of organisation this program was created to support,” Mr Shanahan said.
“It is local, volunteer-led and deeply connected to the people it serves.
“The Centre has shown what can happen when a community comes together, and we’re proud to play a small part in helping them continue that work.”
Harbour At Home’s Community Grants Program provides funding from $500 to $5,000 to local community groups based in the Coffs Coast, Grafton and Port Macquarie areas.
The program supports organisations that help older Australians stay engaged, socially connected and supported in their communities.
Applications are currently open for the next round of grants, with Harbour At Home inviting local organisations that support seniors and community connection to apply.
https://harbourathome.com.au/community-grant-program
By Andrea FERRARI
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