Bellingen Shire Council is once again celebrating NSW Seniors Festival — the largest seniors festival in the southern hemisphere — to present a range of free activities for older community members. The festival welcomes seniors over 60, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 50, and people over 50 with a lifelong disability. Carers of seniors are encouraged to attend and take part in the celebrations.
Running from 3 March to 16 March 2025, and themed "Time to Shine!”, this two-week festival will include film screenings, tech help sessions, free aqua aerobics classes, walking tours, exercise and movement classes, a tour of the Dorrigo water treatment plant, lunch and a creative connections session, a free lunch by the Bellingen LIONS Club, and a tour of the Bellingen Memorial Hall with morning tea and a service stall expo.
Bellingen Shire Mayor, Cr Steve Allan says, “The Seniors Festival is one of my favourite times of year, because we get to shine a light on the remarkable members of our community – to celebrate their significant contribution. This year’s activities hope to inspire and motivate seniors in our community to be involved in a range of activities and events throughout the Festival whilst meeting like-minded folks, sharing their skills and wisdom, and hopefully acquiring new ones”.
The Festival is a collaboration with various community groups and organisations and aims to offer seniors an opportunity to connect, celebrate and exchange ideas and experiences, while emphasising the significance of engaging in activities that promote good health and well-being.
A highlight of the Festival is a tour of the Bellingen Memorial Hall, including morning tea, and service stalls expo taking place on Thursday 6 March, from 10:00am to 1:00pm. The tour will take you through all of the new upgrades of the Memorial Hall, including the backstage area, new studio space, kitchenette, green rooms, recovery centre amenities, access lifts, car park, and deck and the main hall, featuring an 8 x 5.5m screen, advanced audiovisual capabilities and brand-new tiered seating.
Service stalls at the expo will offer a range of activities and information from organisations including Community Transport, CareXCell, Home Instead, Carers NSW, EACH Carefinder Program, the Department of Health and Aged Care, Services Australia, Mission Australia, Lifetime Connect, Dementia Australia, Service NSW, and more. Service NSW will also provide details on driver’s licensing, rebates and concessions, Seniors Card benefits, Savings Finder appointments and other support services.
The Seniors Festival program of activities include:
Council will also be inviting community members to join the newly established Ageing Well and Inclusion Reference Group. This advisory group is being created to provide feedback and advice on issues and opportunities relating to ageing, access and inclusion in our Shire, ensuring that the voices of older adults, people with disabilities, carers and advocates are heard.
Council extends a warm invitation to all seniors in our community to participate in the free activities on offer and make the most of this enriching experience. Your presence will undoubtedly contribute to the success of our Festival, and we look forward to celebrating with you.