Pat Conroy (Charlton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There was moving and shaking from the young and the young at heart this week, when the Uniting Care hostel, in Garden Suburb, played host to the Big Move dance event. Residents were joined by students of Garden Suburb Public School, and they danced the morning away together as part of this inaugural event.

Launched by Uniting Care this year, the Big Move aims to bring people together through dance, to have fun and to celebrate seniors in the community. Coinciding with Seniors Week in New South Wales, the event aims to raise awareness and funds for dementia and to highlight the challenges that sufferers and carers face. As we celebrate Seniors Week across the state, there are a variety of events taking place to recognise the role seniors play and to celebrate their contribution to our communities. I will be attending the 2014 Seniors Week Expo at the Toronto Workers Club tomorrow, which will bring together over 40 local businesses who will provide demonstrations and hold display stalls offering a variety of information specifically for seniors.

The electorate of Charlton has a significant ageing population, with a quarter of people over the age of 60. Seniors Week is an important initiative in our area, and I congratulate Garden Suburb Public School, Garden Suburb Aged Care Facility and Toronto Workers Club, in particular, Anne Morris and CEO Mark Singleton, for their work in preparing and supporting these events. Your efforts are appreciated by all of us, and, in an era when our population is ageing, I hope to see more of these events.