Kawerau and Districts Ageing in Place (KADAP) has marked a milestone - 10 years of helping older residents live independently and stay connected within their community.

East Coast MP Dana Fitzpatrick attended the celebration and AGM held in Kawerau last week, joining around 100 KADAP members and supporters.

KADAP co-ordinator Karen Glibbery says the initiative began with the question: how could the town better support its ageing residents to stay in their own homes?

“It was started 10 years ago by a group of local people who were thinking about what our senior residents needed to make life easier and help them be able to stay in their homes,” “People were leaving town because they needed to be closer to family for support or there wasn’t room in the rest home here. They just weren’t always able to get the support they needed.”

Kawerau has an older-than-average population with around 20.7 percent aged 65 and over - higher than the national average of 16.9 percent. The need was clear, and after community consultation and research - including looking at models in places like Japan - the idea for KADAP was formed.

The KADAP model centres on a pool of volunteers who share their time and skills to help members with everyday tasks.

“Everybody’s got something to offer,” Mrs Glibbery said. “We help with transport, handyman jobs, and small things like gardening. For example, we might help someone prune their trees or do their rose bushes, we’ve got a lady who’s great with roses, but we wouldn’t do someone’s lawns every week. There are people out there making a living doing that, we’re just filling the gaps. It’s often harder to find someone to do a one-off job like trimming an overgrown tree, so we help with those things.”

Transport support can be as simple as a lift to the shops or the library.

“We’ve got one chap who loves to go to the op shops,” Mrs Glibbery said. “He’ll call and say: ‘Can someone run me down to the op shop?’

“Another gentleman who has very limited sight gets help organising his post and paying his bills.”

Beyond practical help, KADAP fosters community connection. The group holds regular meetings, morning teas, and social catch-ups.

“We do a visiting programme for people who can’t get out, and we’ve got a phone tree with around 18 callers,” Mrs Glibbery said.

“I like everyone to get a phone call ideally every three months, just to check in and make sure they’re ok.”

The organisation now has around 75 volunteers and 310 members, with a growing network of people helping one another.

“We’re unique because there isn’t another volunteer service like this that I know of in New Zealand supporting older people in this way.

“We’d love to see more of them in other towns because it’s so valuable. When people do move away from Kawerau they sometimes ask if there’s a KADAP where we’re going - but as far as we know, it’s just us doing this.”

KADAP volunteers contribute around 4000 hours each year, making what Mrs Glibbery describes as “a really big difference” in helping people stay in their homes and connected to the community.

When establishing KADAP, early guidance came from local Hamertons lawyers, researchers Bev James and Kay Saville-Smith of the Centre for Research Evaluation and Social Assessment (CRESA), as well as social scientist Carole Gordon MNZM.

Originally run entirely by volunteers, KADAP has since grown into a funded organisation, employing a coordinator while maintaining a strong volunteer base.

Members’ needs continue to shape their services, which include transport, home maintenance, advocacy, welfare support, companionship, pet care, and help with everyday tasks.

To commemorate its first decade, KADAP has published a special book featuring stories, photos, and memories from the past 10 years. Copies are available to order, and display editions can be viewed at the KADAP Office and Kawerau Library.

Among the founding trustees, Bob Austin and Helen Stewart continue to serve on the board, while Bill Gibson, also a founding trustee, is now retiring after 10 years of dedicated service. He was presented with a certificate and a copy of the book by Dana Kirkpatrick at the 10-year celebration.

For more information, to join or volunteer, visit their website at  www.kadap.org.nz.