We welcomed a large crowd of COTA NSW members and supporters to our Annual General Meeting at the Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts on December 4th.

COTA NSW President Dr. David Scott welcomed attendees and reiterated the importance of ensuring that our organisation continues to ensure that all voices are heard. Our Treasurer, Chris Grover, outlined the strong financial position of COTA NSW over the last financial year.

Chief Executive Officer Gohar Yazdabadi spoke to the positive impacts the work of COTA NSW has had on the lives of older people over the last financial year. Highlights included our advocacy on accessible information and the important community programs we led.

Ageing well in NSW was the topic of a live-streamed panel discussion held in conjunction with the AGM. A panel of COTA NSW lived experience experts discussed the topic with input from our audience.

Thanks to COTA NSW member and Community Advocate, Jill Nash, for moderating the discussion and sharing some of her personal insights, including the difficulty she had in finding a GP when she relocated to Sydney from the north coast of NSW.

Panellists Alice Mantel and Pete Newman spoke of the challenges and opportunities they have encountered as they navigate away from busy full-time careers in the law and nursing. Both mentioned the importance of volunteering and sharing their expertise as being key to their levels of happiness and well-being.

Thank you for your support as this busy year draws to a close and we plan our agenda for 2025.