With COVID significantly impacting membership numbers over the last two years, The Probus Club of Parramatta is hoping to encourage more retirees to join up.
Due to lockdowns and the cancellation of events, many senior groups have struggled to promote opportunities for new members to join.
“There hasn’t been an opportunity to build membership numbers because there simply hasn’t been meetings,” President of the Probus Club of Parramatta Jeff Semple said.
With membership numbers for the Probus Club of Parramatta dropping by 30 per cent over the last two years, Mr Semple is hoping there are other retirees that are ready to put down the phone and meet people face to face again.
“Phone communications are great and so is Zoom, but it really removes the personal touch that you get when you have a social environment and people are meeting in the one area,” Mr Semple said.
The Probus Club of Parramatta wants new retirees in particular to know they are welcome to join.
“For people coming into the retirement phase of their lives, it’s very important for them to know that there are opportunities to help them get out of the house and meet new people,” Mr Semple said.
Established in 1995, the Probus Club of Parramatta is a mixed-gender club open to anyone who is retired or semi-retired. Members meet monthly to enjoy the company of like-minded fellow retirees and form new friendships.
Whether it’s a day trip to Bowral, guest speakers or a lunch where people can “sit down and have a chin wag”, the Probus Club of Parramatta provides a range of activities to keep its members minds active and expand their interests.
“It’s a way for people to get out of their everyday routine and experience a new social environment” Mr Semple said.
The Probus Club of Parramatta holds a monthly general meeting at Toongabbie Sports and Bowling Club on the second Monday of each month. Expressions of interest in joining the club can be made at any time. Call 9604 6971 to find out more.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.