Today I warmly congratulate Jan Gray, who this month is celebrating 21 years of dedicated service to the northern beaches community through her organisation, Cheers. Cheers stands for Cheerful Healthy Eating for Elderly Residents and Seniors, and Jan delivers just that. She brings seniors together for affordable, healthy lunches and great conversation at restaurants on the northern beaches, helping fight one of the most confronting issues facing our seniors: loneliness. Cheers was established in 2005 by Jane Elliott with support from NSW Health. Sadly, after several years, the program was dropped. But Jan decided to keep it going herself, even past her retirement in 2018 at age 77. For their celebrations on 18 March, Jan and her daughter Julie Lewis hosted a delicious lunch at the Collaroy Beach Club, which I am told is a favourite spot among their patrons. I have attended Cheers' lunches and can attest they are a truly special event and a great opportunity for seniors to connect. I thank Jan for her passion for volunteering and helping seniors live happy and healthy lives. Here's to many more years of cheerful lunches. I say well done.
Read the Community Recognition Statement in the NSW Hansard, here