Probus Month

Mrs PEARCE (King) (12:55): I move:

That this house—

(a) acknowledges that Probus Month is held throughout the month of October and coincides with the Week of Ageing Well from 1 to 7 October;

(b) notes that the theme of this year's Probus Month is ‘Celebrating community and companionship';

(c) acknowledges the amazing work of the 141 Probus clubs across South Australia, of which 69 clubs operate across regional SA, and in total represent a membership of over 6,800 members;

(d) notes the importance of both the Week of Ageing Well and Probus Month for both promoting community connection, the importance of older people in our community, and supporting ageing well; and

(e) acknowledges all social and service clubs throughout South Australia for their work in promoting the mental health and wellbeing of their members through providing a sense of belonging and connection to community.

I seek to note the incredibly important role that Probus clubs play in communities all across our state thanks to their incredible efforts in bringing people together through the promotion of connection and friendship. We know that loneliness is detrimental to one's mental and physical wellbeing. It has been linked to premature death, poor physical and mental health, greater psychological distress and general dissatisfaction with life, and as recently as 2022 it was described as one of the most pressing public health priorities in Australia.

Fortunately there are preventative measures that can be taken to help tackle this issue, which include maintaining active relationships through community organisations, which is exactly where Probus comes into play. Probus clubs are non-political non-fundraising groups that promote a network of like-minded individuals who are all eager to share their time, their experiences and friendship, meeting regularly across a range of activities and events.

Around the world you will find Probus operating in 23 countries thanks to its establishment in 1966 through the Rotary Club of Caterham. Australia would follow 10 years later, in 1976, with the formation of the Probus Club of Hunters Hill, with Probus finally finding its home here in South Australia in 1981 with the very first SA Probus club, the Probus Club of Brighton and Glenelg, being established. Since then we have become home to 141 Probus clubs across the state: 72 in metropolitan Adelaide and, just as importantly, 69 across our regions, all hosting a combined membership of over 6,800 people.

I have had the great joy of experiencing firsthand the power of Probus and the positive impact it can have on a community thanks to my local Probus club, Golden Grove Probus. They exemplify the spirit of connection and friendship and are a testament to the values Probus can bring to a community. Members go to great lengths to support one another and create opportunities for engagement with one another that span across a wide range of interests.

There is always something in the calendar ready to bring people together, be it cultural outings, visits to historical venues, shared lunches and entertainment events, group activities and so on. Probus is not short of events to keep their membership engaged, with numerous opportunities to forge and strengthen friendships within the group.

They have actually even visited this parliament, and some will be in here a little later today. I must say it was absolutely the greatest pleasure to be able to share this place with them earlier this year with the member for Newland, although I must say that Dr Weste was absolutely the star of the show during the tour as we wandered through the parliamentary library, and rightly so. It was so much the case that when we caught up with Probus after that day they asked whether in the future we could have one just for the library and then another one just for parliament. There is just so much to see and discover and discuss within this building that we can be proud of as South Australians.

October is a very special month for the Probus community, as it marks Probus Month. It is a time to celebrate the Probus movement and the friendships that have been forged by all who have become part of the Probus community. The inaugural Probus Day celebration was held just four years ago on 1 October 2020 and now extends to a whole month of celebrations, with the United Nations International Day of Older Persons marking the beginning of festivities for the month.

Also kicking off in conjunction with the United Nations International Day of Older Persons is our own Week of Ageing Well, which this year celebrated the diversity of older South Australians and their contributions to our society and also highlighted the opportunities for older South Australians to connect, supporting them to live happy and meaningful lives. In alignment with this year's Probus Month theme, the Office for Ageing Well's theme was 'Celebrating community and companionship', very fitting when one considers that this is at the very core of what the Probus club movement seeks to deliver.

Throughout South Australia there are many opportunities for people to get involved in service clubs, with each in their own way promoting the mental health and wellbeing of their members through providing a sense of belonging and connection to community. Whether it is through Rotary clubs, Lions clubs—

Debate adjourned.

Sitting suspended from 13:00 to 14:00.