The Lilydale Senior Citizens group celebrated an incredible milestone on Wednesday 22 October, marking its 60th birthday
Members of the club, local representatives and community members helped mark the milestone with music, food and conversation.
Vice president Kay said it was a wonderful day of celebration, with around 50 people in attendance.
“Some of us got up and danced and so it was a great time had by all. Everyone really enjoyed themselves and the food was amazing,” she said.
Kay said for many in the group, who play bingo every Wednesday, it has become more than just a friendly and competitive game every week.
“For a lot of them, it’s more the fact of getting out, socialising, connecting with people,” she said.
“We do have a bit of a laugh. When we’re calling the numbers, sometimes we make errors, but we all laugh about it. It’s just a great afternoon. It gets people out, there’s been some great relationships built through the club.”
Each week sees about 35 people attend to play bingo, making for a great atmosphere.
Prior to Covid-19, carpet bowls and billiards used to be played on a Friday as well, but Kay said the pandemic really impacted running those sessions.
But the group does try to organise a monthly lunch meet up, outside of the regular bingo program, and some members organise coffee catch ups too.
For Kay, the seniors club became a huge part of her life when she was in need of some companionship, eventually leading her to a committee position.
“When I started, my husband was away working, so I was on my own, so I rang up and met them and tried it out for a couple of weeks, and now I’m the vice president,” she said.
“The committee members really work hard trying to keep it lively and just building connections. It’s really important if you’re feeling lonely or anything like that, contact your local seniors group, get to know some people and build your connections. They’re really important, especially as you get older.”
For anyone interested in joining the Lilydale Senior Group, bingo is played every Wednesday from about 12.30pm until 2.30pm, with the committee normally setting up from around 10.30am. The Senior Citizens Centre is located at 7 Hardy Street, Lilydale.
