Comment
This year starts with vision
with Brian Shakes, Over 50s Association
Firstly, let me wish all readers the best for this year of 2006 from me, personally, and from the staff and volunteers at Over 50s.
I often wonder what it is about the end of one year and the start of another that sends most of us into review and reflection mode and then into planning actions relating to the things we decide we want to change. After all, what really is the difference between 31 December and 1 January, beyond that it is one day following the other, and why should that particular new day instill us with such a sense of hope and possibility?
Well, I don’t think I have an answer, beyond that this is the habitual pattern of our year and so we place these expectations on ourselves.
Here at Over 50s we have been busy in the first month of the year with our New Year resolutions – the review and planning process.
It’s been more than planning, which implies just setting out the action steps required to meet an already decided goal. We’ve been doing some of the real ‘visioning’ work that precedes planning.
As you know, last year was a significant one for us; it involved establishing an alliance with four State COTAs as well as expanding our job-support business, workingconnections with a regional office. Both these actions are significant in that they have the potential to expand our reach and services not just to our current members, but also to another, younger cohort.
And this is where the vision process comes in. Can we envisage what sort of services and products the baby boomer generation may want to have access to over the next decade? And how will they want to gain that access? And pay for it? What sorts of policy initiatives are needed to support this, and where does responsibility lie? With individuals, with associations like us, with the Federal and or State Governments or a combination of all of the above?
What sort of organisation structure and staffing supports a not-for-profit business that is able to provide these services? Where are the models in Australia, or overseas? Can we do any of this in alliance where our interests and those of our members align with the interests of potential alliance partners? And so on. All very interesting thoughts to occupy our minds – when we get a moment from the busy day-to-day operations.
With advocacy one of our key focus areas for the future, I’d like to leave you, the reader, with a request. This is particularly for those in their fifties and maybe early sixties who may be looking for employment or may need to top up retirement incomes.
The Federal Government and particularly the Treasurer, Mr Costello, are keen to have us work longer to make our retirement incomes stretch. What sort of assistance do you need from the Federal Government if you are to work longer, productively?
Just some thoughts: It may include, for example, employer subsidies, tax or super changes, targeted training, micro-enterprise training, support to set up work co-operatives, tax breaks to down-size the family home and release capital etc etc.
Please email me your thoughts – arpao50@vicnet.net.au – and add your bit to our organisation planning process.
• Brian Shakes is chief executive officer of ARPA Over 50s Association.
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