Labor pledges $140,000 to seniors organisation

WA LABOR has pledged $140,000 of funding to five local seniors organisations if elected on March 11.

Labor candidate for Bicton Lisa O’Malley was joined by Opposition spokeswoman for Seniors and Ageing Margaret Quirk at the Stock Road Seniors Citizens Club for the announcement on Monday.

To be delivered during a first term Labor government, the funding would be split between the Senior Citizens Club, Melville Cares ($55,000 each), Community First Meals on Wheels, Bicton-Palmyra RSL and Bicton Men’s Shed ($10,000 each).

Mrs O’Malley said that seniors were a vital contributor to any community.

“Seniors have shaped our community and helped build everything we take for granted today,” she said.

“Seniors’ organisations in the electorate of Bicton have been working tirelessly to provide many important services to older members of our community and this funding will help them to do even more.”

Ms Quirk said Labor believed seniors should be allowed to age well and keep active in their own communities.

“We’re getting close to 20 per cent of the population being 65 or over so keeping the elderly involved in their local communities is more important than ever,” she said.

“Less isolation means better health outcomes and Lisa has been a strong advocate for the work carried out by each of the organisations we have elected to fund.”

Bicton-Palmyra RSL president Kevin Hastie said the group would use the money to repair a sagging ceiling in their bar area.

“This funding will make a huge difference to us, we’re in an old building and there are always maintenance jobs that need doing,” he said.