The Aucklander

MARY RAMMERS AND MAREE WAKELIN OFF TO DO SOME SHOPPING - PHOTO: SYLVIE WHINRAY (Source: NewsPix)

Shopping around for customers

A Meadowbank group dedicated to caring for old
folk needs old folk. To look after! Joseph Barratt reports

More volunteers or more money - that's the usual cry from community groups - but not in Meadowbank.

In an unusual twist, one group is seeking more people to look after.

Meadowbank Community Centre strives to give independence to senior people who might otherwise need to go into a retirement home.

It provides a bus once a fortnight to take them shopping. They also go on regular outings in Auckland.

Mary Rammers, who occasionally takes the monthly trips around the city, really enjoys it.

``It's nice to get a chance to get out,' she says.
``It's nice to go a drive that we might not be able to do otherwise.'

However, numbers in the group are dropping and just four or five go on the monthly trip and three go on the fortnightly shop.

Lynn Mosley, from the community centre, says the dwindling numbers are because of some going into retirement homes or dying.

``You really get to know them and enjoy taking them away. Last month, we went to the Puhoi cheese factory and they had lots of fun,' she says.

The fortnightly shopping trip costs $3 to cover fuel.
Maree Wakelin works at the community centre and also drives the bus.

``If we were not providing this some of them would have to go into a rest home,' she says.

``It really helps them to keep their independence.

``The only restriction, unfortunately, is that the bus cannot take wheelchairs so they have to be able to walk, even if it is with a frame.'

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