Town of Cambridge WayFairer Project Community Launch

Published on 22 October 2018

The Town of Cambridge’s WayFairer Project is set to revolutionise volunteering in Western Australia.

In an Australian first, retiring baby boomers from the Town of Cambridge will have their knowledge, skills and attributes mapped and then given the opportunity to gift their time and talent directly to where they are needed most in the community sector.

The Town of Cambridge is partnering with Inclusion Solutions in the delivery of the State’s first WayFairer Project.

The WayFairer Project is an initiative designed to meet the growing needs of older adults, while simultaneously addressing the gaps in clubs, groups and community-based organisations. Social inclusion expert Denver D’Cruz from Inclusion Solutions, a not for profit organisation that influences organisations and communities on the benefits of social inclusion, said there is a looming crisis in the social isolation of older adults.

“We are witnessing social isolation among recently retired adults who have not been able to find purpose, meaning and social connection since leaving full time work,” he said.

"We also know there are large skill gaps in the community sector which is under pressure to deliver services to achieve age-friendly communities.”

The Minister for Seniors and Ageing; Volunteering; Sport and Recreation, the Honourable Mick Murray has shown a keen interest in the initiative and is participating in the roll-out of the Cambridge WayFairer Project commencing on the 13 November 2018.

The Town of Cambridge’s Mayor Keri Shannon said that retired older adults in her community want to find purpose, meaning and connection in retirement.

“They want to gift their time to the community to ensure that the deep knowledge and skills gained over a lifetime are valued and re-applied to benefit the broader community,” Mayor Shannon said.

Fifteen older adults will have their knowledge and skills mapped using purpose-built software, and over the 12-month project, individuals will gift their talents to specific needs in the Cambridge community. There are 7,400 adults aged 55 and over within the Town of Cambridge.

The Town of Cambridge WayFairer Project will address the following existing gaps:

• Social isolation among older adults. The Project will give participants the opportunity to gift their knowledge and skills, providing meaning and purpose and promoting social inclusion for older adults.

• Gaps in specialised skills and knowledge in community-based organisations. The project enables the injection of identified skills and knowledge with immediacy and efficiency.

• Local Government resourcing pressures. Local government authorities will be able to support their communities’ needs by utilising the attributes of older adults sourced from within their own jurisdiction.

Community launch details:

Date: Wednesday 31 October Time: 5 pm – 5.45 pm

Venue: Wembley Sports Park Pavilion, 187 Selby Street, Floreat

Please RSVP here

Attendees:

Town of Cambridge Mayor, Kerri Shannon Town of Cambridge Staff, Cambridge Community Groups, Inclusion Solutions, Life Time Wise Community members

For more information on the Town of Cambridge WayFairer Project please visit here

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