General News
6 September, 2024
Adult learning initiative
To commemorate this week’s Adult Learners Week, the Maryborough Community House is inviting residents to participate in activities to improve their general health and wellbeing.
Since 1995, Adult Learners Week has celebrated the importance of continued learning through formal and informal events and activities.
The community house, located on 23 Primrose Street, offers a range of adult programs including tai chi, village lunches, art groups and a chatty cafe held on the first Tuesday of every month.
According to activity hub project officer Sue Miller, participation in various learning opportunities can help develop skills and foster self-confidence.
“Adult Learners Week is the concept of what we do, even when we just get together for an activity or socialising we are learning,” she said.
“Chatty cafe is perfect for adults looking for something new to do because they don’t have to commit to an ongoing program, [you can] come along, have a nice cuppa, something to eat and meet some new friends.
“Adult and community education is for everyone, [you] make friends, talk to one another and participating can really help your overall wellbeing.”
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 16 percent of Australians experienced loneliness in 2022.
Maryborough Community House volunteer Jo Carter said local programs provide a vital avenue for adults to connect socially with the community.
“I enjoy the social interaction but it’s also seeing everybody leaving with a smile on their face,” she said.
“It’s really about bringing people out of their homes, we had someone here Tuesday who has social anxiety and he managed to get through the doors, he wasn’t talking to anyone but he made it here, that’s a big step for him.
“Some people have made friends out of it, some people have come back and I love it when I see regular faces and they have a smile.”