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THINGS TO GET INVOLVED IN...
Volunteering Opportunities
Do you have the time to volunteer and would like to make a difference to Elders in our LGBTI community? You can apply to be a community visitor or to support Elders to better navigate the aged care system.
Community home visiting programs
In SA we are lucky that we currently have two community visitor programs that specifically support socially isolated members of our LGBTI community. COTA (SA) and ECH are working in close collaboration to make sure that comprehensive support is provided.
The two programs differ slightly as the COTA program is funded to visit community members who are in a residential care facility or who are receiving a federal home care package whilst the ECH program is self funded and can visit community members who are not receiving a package.
COTA (SA) and ECH are both currently recruiting volunteers to be visitors as well as seeking any older LGBTI person who might welcome a visit and friendship or would like to be supported to go out and about for more social connection.
So if you are an LGBTI person who would like to provide support and friendship to someone and be a positive part of someone’s life please contact either COTA or ECH for further information:
rainbowhub@cotasa.org.au or call COTA on 8232 0422 or 1800 182 324 for country callers.
Robyn Lierton at ECH on 1300 275 324. Your confidentiality is assured.
Be an Aged Care navigator
Many LGBTI Elders need information about My Aged Care for themselves or for somebody they support. COTA is looking for LGBTI volunteers to help LGBTI Elders navigate their way through the My Aged Care system
This may mean speaking to small groups and providing basic information about what My Aged Care is, how to access it and the services it provides. Alternatively, it may mean providing one on one support to an Elder as they navigate their way through the system which is sometimes daunting, especially for people who are not used to or confident with online environments and processes.
You will be given training that builds on your existing skills to help you feel more confident and supported. You will have the back up of a specialist support worker should it be needed.
You do not have to make a regular commitment of time. It will involve delivering a few group, or one on one, sessions.
Interested?? A training session will be held at COTA (16 Hutt St) on Tuesday 27 August between 10 am and 4.30 pm. Lunch will be provided, and any expenses incurred in attending the training will be reimbursed.
To register for the training or to gain more information, please contact Helen Morley on 8232 0422, country callers 1800 182 324 or email: hmorley@cotasa.org.au
Become an associate member of the Rainbow Advisory group
We’ve got an ambitious program and it would be great to have your support and energy. You could volunteer to help out with organising and/or running specific scheduled activities.
This could be a one-off event, or ongoing, and we are imagining someone saying, for example:
“Once a year I’ll work with you to organise a forum”, or
“I’ll use my networks to help you spread the word about the volunteer programs”, or
“I’ll help you write some promotional material”.
If you’re interested contact Cris to have a chat: ccdav@merlin.net.au or call 0406 809 944.
LGBTIQ community history group
After many conversations during this year’s History Festival, Nikki Sullivan and Craig Middleton from the Migration Museum were interested to see if there is an appetite for the establishment of an LGBTIQA+ community history group. An open invitation was made for interested people to attend an initial meeting to discuss the concept on Thursday 27 June.
For further information email cmiddleton@history.sa.gov.au or nsullivan@history.sa.gov.au.
Feast Festival: sign up to be a part of Readers Theatre
South Australia is lucky enough to have a LGBTI Ageing and Aged Care Community of Practice for organisations working with people aged 55+ from LGBTI communities. This year, the Community of Practice is holding a forum during the Feast Festival for people aged 55+ and aged care providers, with the aim to provide an environment where LGBTI community members and aged care providers can learn from each other.
A key part of this forum will be a Readers Theatre, in which people from the LGBTI community recount important aspect of their lives (both personal and political) by taking turns to read stories, headlines, comics, letters to the editor, testimonials, advertisements and other assorted works in a choreographed/rehearsed performance. This means that memorising lines is purely optional, and unforeseen absences are easily accommodated. Performance may include costumes, props, lighting, music…the possibilities are endless, and are determined by the group.
Would you like to be involved in this exciting performance, either as an actor/reader or to assist with behind-the-scenes roles such as finding newspaper articles, stories, song lyrics, etc? People from all parts of the rainbow family are welcome, with up to 15 people needed. Please contact Donny Raets either via email Donny.raets@acsa.asn.au or 0480 111 304 soon.
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PEOPLE NEWS
Changes to COTA SA’s Advisory Group
We are experiencing major changes in our team. Some of you will know that Desmond Ford was the Project Manager for the original Ageing Well Project which, in 2017, kick-started what is now the Rainbow Hub. He then moved across from our project to become a senior member of the COTA SA staff with responsibility for a number of other programs as well as ours. As from the 30th of June, Desmond has moved on. He’ll be living in Normanville most of the time and commuting to Adelaide as he needs. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that Desmond has joined our Advisory Group as our Fleurieu Peninsula representative so we aren’t losing him as a colleague. He is an invaluable member of the team—someone who is a well-informed strategic thinker about the aged-care sector and our community. It’s been a joy to work with Desmond in his previous roles with COTA SA and a great relief to us all when he said that he’d like to join the Advisory Group and, as well, take up some of the Silver Rainbow training.
And BTW—disregard the rumours—he’s not retiring—just reconfiguring.
Desmond loves growing things—like vegetables and chickens and community and LGBTI empowerment and fruit and programs and support for refugees and care for the environment. Being based at Normie, he’ll be able to do more of all of those things and have more balance in his life, while still contributing to the Rainbow Hub. A perfect solution.
And another change is that Sorel Coward has joined our Advisory Group thereby expanding our trans membership. The team now consists of Bill, Carol, Cath, Cris, Desmond, Jenny, Pam and Sorel. As well, we’ve been joined by Jill Gael as a trainer in the Silver Rainbow team.
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Margie Fischer recognised in Queens Birthday Honours
LGBTIQ community advocates featured prominently in this year’s awards, including South Australia's own Margaret (Margie) Fischer AM, Feast Adelaide Queer Arts and Cultural Festival co-founder. Many of you know Margie as the person who has staunchly worked to support the Arts in South Australia since the early 1980s, in a myriad of ways, including co-founding Vitalstatix at the Port and our own Feast festival. When Feast was looking somewhat shaky 3 years ago, Margie stepped back to the role she’d undertaken in the early years of Feast and spearheaded the production of our own LGBTI Festival.
In all this work Margie has taken on the roles of performer, organiser, negotiator, producer, hard talker, opportunity creator, commentator, networker, terrier, smooth-talker and oiler-of wheels. Resulting from her labour have been opportunities for LGBTI people to be both performers and audience.
Margie: We salute you and are pleased that your efforts have been acknowledged, not just in our community but in the wider Australian community. You deserve recognition.
Also recognised were Gay and Lesbian Foundation of Australia chair Associate Professor Ruth McNair AM, Victorian LGBTI Taskforce member James Gardiner OAM, Just Equal co-founder Ivan Hinton-Teoh OAM, The Pinnacle Foundation co-founder Sean Linkson OAM, and Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown OAM, who was co-chair of the Australian Marriage Equality campaign.
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Silver Rainbow Training
Silver Rainbow training is offered to agencies which are providing home and/or residential care and/or housing to older South Australians. Our team includes: Pam Price, Desmond Ford, Jill Gael and Cris Davis. Since we started to do this work in April we have presented 8 sessions to metropolitan groups and 2 to country groups (over 150 workers), with a further 9 sessions booked in between now and 2020.
We have been heartened by the high level of interest in finding ways to provide better experiences for LGBTI Elders which has been displayed during these sessions. There are lots of aged care workers who are wanting to be LGBTI inclusive.
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Fancy footwork at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival
On the afternoon of Monday 10 June, as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, an LGBTI+ Elders Dance Club hosted by All The Queen’s Men (ATQM) was held at The Famous Spiegeltent in Elder Park. A great time was had by all, fashions on the field led by the inimitable Dr Gertrude Glossop. Here’s a small pictorial account, courtesy of Jenny Scott, of some the fancy footwork displayed and the enjoyment that was shared.
After seeing some of Jenny’s photos from the day, Tristan, the Director of ATQM, wrote "It was such a wonderful joyous gathering and hope we can organise another sometime soon!" What a great event!
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ACH dares you
ACH has a program called The Exchange which is a membership network, open to anyone aged 50+ which is free. Although this is not an LBGTI specific offering, it has some features which we thought you’d appreciate.
One of the opportunities it has developed is its 10 Dares Challenge. It emerged from understanding that stimulating your brain with new experiences and ideas is an important pathway to brain health, particularly for older people. The original 10 Dares Challenge was designed by Exchange members and was part of the 2017 Open State Festival. After Open State was over, ACH staff converted all the resources and stories collected into a 5-week online challenge that anyone can sign up for at any time. Around 500 people have taken on the 10 Dares Challenge either face to face or via the online version.
To participate online all you have to do is join The Exchange by going to https://achgroup.org.au/discover-and-explore/the-exchange/ and filling in the form then going to the 10 Dares page https://achgroup.org.au/discover-and-explore/the-exchange/10-dares-challenge/ and starting from there. ACH will send you out support materials.
ACH is also developing online material about brain health—we’ll let you know when it is available.
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Rainbow stall at the Festival of Now in October
Cath Petracco, a member of COTA’s LGBTI Advisory Group, has been appointed to a committee sponsored by the Mental Health Coalition of SA. The Coalition holds a Festival of Now event every October which brings together the mental health community and showcases the creativity used in the healing journey. It breaks down misconceptions about mental illness and is a celebration of community and wellbeing.
The Festival includes a Rainbow Stall to support LGBTI workers and community members. The stall is a collaborative group of LGBTIQ workers and services supporting LGBTIQ individuals and is popular part of the Festival of Now. This stall plays an important role in providing information and resources for the LGBTIQ community.
As a member of the committee Cath will help to plan and oversee the Rainbow Stall as part of the festival. Cath’s involvement will also help deliver an event that has relevance for so many members of our community, particularly those who are older.
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COTA SA IS LOOKING FOR A
PROJECT OFFICER, LGBTI COMMUNITTIES
- Coordinate LGBTI advocacy work at an established not-for-profit
- Part time hours (0.4 FTE), contract until June 2020
- Salary packaging available
Reporting to the Head - Programs, the Project Officer - LGBTI Communities will coordinate COTA SA's work with LGBTI communities across South Australia, working closely with the COTA SA LGBTI Advisory Group, to ensure there is a coordinated and planned response across all of COTA SA's work ensuring the best outcomes for older LGBTI people.
For more information, please visit https://www.cotasa.org.au/About/Job.aspx
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Contribute to this newsletter
Send in opinion pieces, raise issues, pose questions and provide details of events meant either for Elders or intended for all ages. Either post to:
COTA SA Rainbow Hub
16 Hutt St Adelaide
or email to:rainbowhub@cotasa.org.au.
Receiving this newsletter
If you are on the mailing list from the LGBTI Ageing Well Project, then you will receive this newsletter unless you cancel it by phoning or emailing us. If you are aware of anyone who has no email access but would appreciate a printed copy then let us know—we will need their full mailing address.
If you receive a copy by virtue of being on the mailing lists of Bfriend, SHINE, Catalyst or ECH, then you will need to let us know that you would like to be put on our mailing list as each organisation respects privacy with its contact lists.
Please phone 8232 0422 or Country Callers 1800 182 324 or by email: rainbowhub@cotasa.org.au.
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