Anzac Day Message
Anzac Day is a timely reminder of the enormous contribution our Veterans and their families have made to our lives.
Once we return to a program of regular meetings, one of our objectives is to acknowledge Veterans living in our local communities. Planning is underway to introduce Club based initiatives to increase the numbers of Veterans and their partners who are not currently Probus members.
One of the key challenges for older Veterans and their partners if often overcoming social isolation and loneliness to improve wellbeing and quality of life. As we know, there are strong links between wellbeing and social connection provided by attendance at a Probus Club, as a connection to local communities.
PSPL proposes to implement a comprehensive program to overcome one of the major impediments in our desire to assist veterans - our inability to directly communicate with over 750,000 living Australian and New Zealand veterans who have served in the ADF, either full time or part-time in the reserves.
Clubs will be provided with strategies and information for committees or members who may wish to communicate with veterans and their partners offering them an invitation to visit, and consider joining, a Probus Club in their local community.
The care and support that Probus Clubs could provide for this country’s senior Veterans and their partners/carers can enable them to remain mentally stimulated and to form the kind of social connections that act as potential safeguards against mental and physical decline, enabling them to be more productive members of their community.
We would welcome your ideas and suggestions. Currently our plan involves the production of electronic and printed information to equip Probus Clubs who volunteer, to be part of the campaign by sourcing possible local opportunities though newspapers, newsletters, notice boards, community radio and TV and such other opportunities that generate interest from the interested Veterans and their families.
On a local basis, invitations to visit club meetings may be distributed with the support and cooperation of key Veteran organisations such as: RSL, Mates4Mates, Australian Peacekeeper & Peacemaker Veterans' Association (APPVA), Defence Force Welfare Association, Partners of Veterans Association of Australia, Legacy Australia Incorporated, Soldier On, Returned Servicemen’s Association New Zealand and numerous other relevant organisations.
®