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One of the biggest drawcards of moving into a retirement village is the sense of community it brings and being surrounded by like-minded people. Most villages offer a diverse range of activities and social events from crafts and sport to morning teas and happy hours. While they say there is something for everyone, there is a general perception that activities are focused on women or couples. We take a look at what is on offer at some of RetireAustralia’s retirement villages to see what’s available for the blokes.
When Village Manage Michael McMullen started working at Drayton Villas Retirement Village, he quickly noticed that the men seemed to have more difficulty connecting with others in the village. While the women were able to bond over a cup of tea, there was still a stigma that men don’t need to socialise. He and Brett Halley from the Drayon Villas’ team decided it was something they needed to tackle.
“So, we started a men’s day out,” says Michael. “Every couple of months we go somewhere. The first one was at a pub on the weekend and we had a feed, a beer and a good chat. We’ve done a sausage sizzle in the park and we’ve done one in the homestead [village community centre] as well.
“It’s helping them build relationships with the other guys. Now they will go and have a coffee and talk. Before they were tucked away until some family came and visited.”
Now the men are making these connections, Michael is noticing an improvement in their health and spirits – they seem brighter and more energetic. Having these friendships also helps to build a sense of community in the village.
“It gives them more purpose, it comes back again to wanting to be listened to. They want people to tell a story to. Drayton Villas is their life, so creating those friendships and relationships in the village is what makes it a good community,” explains Michael.
It’s not just outings that they focus on either, Brett, who looks after maintenance in the villages, helped set up a workshop where the men could gather and create things.
For a long time, the team at Belrose Country Club Retirement Village were looking at ways to bring the men in their community together. When people could begin to gather again after the demise of COVID restrictions, the team at Belrose Country Club decided to hold a Father’s Day Breakfast.
“We have tried many things to get the lads together over the years – it is not easy to get them to come out! I have had a bee in my bonnet about getting the men involved since I started. I bought real draughts, and a chess set, and tried to entice them by offering biscuits. I advertised they were there for blokes to use, and then left biscuits out in the Clubhouse Lounge hoping they’d come,” says Caitlin Beyer, the village Lifestyle Activities Officer. “We came up with the idea of a Father’s Day Breakfast. The breakfast would be ‘our shout’. We advertised in our newsletter and they came along and loved it!”
The breakfast was so well attended, and the boys enjoyed it so much that the team ran it again the next month, and it has become a regular event and very much part of the culture in the village. The only difference from that first breakfast is that the men cook for themselves, but they still enjoy spending time and having a chat together over bacon and eggs.
When Colin Davies did a tour of Tea Tree Gardens Retirement Village he knew it was the place for him the moment he stepped foot in the village workshop. “I’m a tradesman and joiner by trade and nearly all the furniture in my house has been made by me, so that was a big attraction for me,” says Colin.
Many RetireAustralia retirement villages have a workshop where residents can do projects and share their skills with others. It’s a great way to meet like-minded people and become a part of the village community, but sometimes your skills can come in great demand as Colin discovered.
“I was in the workshop one day, I picked up the plane and noticed it hadn’t been sharpened for a while, so I went home and got my oilstone, by the time I got back to workshop word had gotten round and there was 17 chisels and three other planes waiting to be sharpened,” laughs Colin. “So, I spent the morning sharpening! It’s nice to have skills you can share.”
Colin and some of his friends spend their time in the workshop creating beautiful jigsaws for the residents to use in the Community Centre, they have made almost 100 of them!
“We spend time in the workshop having a bit of a laugh and a joke as well as a cup of coffee and a chocolate bikkie! We very rarely buy biscuits because people come in and pay us in biscuits for the work we do.
“It’s not exclusively for men, but when the women come in here we always say to them ‘mind your language’,” says Colin cheekily. “It’s all in good fun!”
You won’t just find Colin in the workshop, he plays snooker with friends at least four times a week too.
“I play snooker with a bunch of fellas and we all have a lot of laughs and take the mickey out of each. I’m usually doing a jigsaw puzzle in between shots,” says Colin.
For the residents at Boambee Gardens Retirement Village there are a lot of activities on offer for both men and women, but there are some that the men particularly enjoy. There is a snooker group and a Kelly pool (a variation on regular pool) group, as well as a Punter’s Club that all meet up regularly.
“Everyone is welcome to join in, but traditionally they are things that men enjoy,” says resident David Lee. “I enjoy playing snooker and Kelly pool is very popular – it’s a fun challenge. I’d also like to start a darts competition. I love that there is a big range of activities to do here.”
Resident Terry Kadwell is the driving force behind the popular Kelly pool, Jackpot Joker and Punter’s Club in the village.
“On a Friday afternoon the Punter’s Club get together when the Chook Raffle and the Jackpot Joker is also on, we put some money in and we all have a turn to bet on the Saturday,” says Terry. “There are three groups and the one I’m in bought a share in a racehorse from our winnings!”
The men’s business in a retirement village is not so secret now!
RetireAustralia owns and operates retirement villages in 29 unique urban, seaside, tree-side and regional locations.
