Centrepoint celebrates 10 years

Press, 18 March 1982, Page 16

Centrepoint celebrates 10 years

Anniversary for Centrepoint

Centrepoint, the women's social and recreational club was founded Id years ago, in 1972. On March 27, it celebrates the anniversary of its move to its present premises in Cathedral Square. Many, initial ideas have been modified since, its inception and Centrepoint has succeeded by being sensitive to the needs of its members. It now provides pleasant facilities for women to meet, to have lunch, and to enjoy many organised activities.

These include indoor games such as table tennis and pool, art and craft sessions. films and slide evenings. and speakers on a wide range of subjects.

Started as the result of an “impossible dream” by a group of women led by Jenny Heal and Jan Pluck, Centrepoint now has an apparently stable membership of around 1400. It is well on the way to paying off the $25,000 all-woman debenture issue raised for the modernisation of its present premises. Centrepoint is unique in being the only chartered women’s club in New Zealand. Unlike most men’s clubs, however, liquor sales are only a minor part of the club’s activities. The club is now closing at 4 p.m. when women head home to get the evening meal. "Although it's obvious that liquor will never prove a major source of revenue, women do enjoy the opportunity to have a social drink together, a glass of wine with meals, or shout their male guests on special occasions,” says Ruth Whittington, public relations officer for Centrepoint. “No woman of Canterbury, be she married, without a partner, a new settler, young or old, living in the town or in the country, need feel neglected or lonely if she is a member of Centrepoint,” says Mrs Whittington,

Invisible umemployed Women, when made redundant, become the “invisible” unemployed, especially if they are older and married. That is a major finding of a recently-published report by the National Organisation for Women (Marlborough). The report, which was made with the assistance of the Marlborough Trades Council and Blenheim Borough Council, studied the effects of redundancy on women workers after the closure of a Blenheim clothing factory, one of the largest sources of employment in the town.

Ninety per cent of those who lost their jobs • were women, half of these being women over the age of forty. It was this group, often highly skilled and with years of service to their credit, which met greatest'difficulty in finding other work. Because so few were eligible for unemployment bene-

fit, redundancy meant a major reduction in family income for the married workers.

•' Many workers who had previously, been working fulltime accepted part-time work because there were no full-time jobs available. This included caring for the elderly, house-cleaning, sewing at home and child care. To cope with the decrease in income, most were forced to budget tightly. They cut down on clothing, footwear, petrol, entertainment and food. Some could no longer afford to replace things in their homes, or to carry out household improvements. On the brighter side, more than half of those who were re-employed reported increased earnings. The report claims that the main consequence of the failure of many of these older women to register as unemployed, is that the Department of Labour unemployment statistics are far from correct.

Those who failed to register gave reasons such as: they were married, they were ineligilbe for unemployment benefit, they didn’t wnat to compete against single women, they didn’t like the stigma of being “officially” unemployed, or they simply lacked ’ confidence in their own skills or the department's ability to find suitable work.

The report described registering as vital, since it keeps the person in contact with the job-seeking resources of the department. Continuing union responsibility to former union members made redundant was seen as an important issue. The report asked whether there should be follow-up services to ensure that redundant employees are receiving proper assistance in job-hunting, or advice in adjusting to unemployment and retirement.

With the country

at heart Country women,' women students, and all those involved in careers advisory positions are invited to a half-day seminar being offered by the Rural Development and Extension Centre at Lincoln College, on Tuesday, March 22. It will explore employment opportunity for women in rural Canterbury, and look at over-all job prospects in agriculture, horticulture and related fields. Sex-related handicaps, ways of improving job prospects and training needs will also be discussed. Beryl Ingold, described as one of Australia’s “top rural women,” who is touring New Zealand bn a grant from the Australia-New Zealand Foundation, will make some personal observations about the employment of women in the rural areas of New Zealand and Australia. Her remarks will come at the end

of a three-week New Zealand tour, and are backed by intense involvement and leadership in New South Wales agricultural organisations. A panel of speakers will also discuss the problems and prospects of Training and Employment for Women in Rural Areas. Registrations are not needed • for the seminar, which will be held in the Totara Room. Union Building, starting at 1.30 p.m. ♦ . * Polynesian youth Understanding Maori- and Polynesian youth is the topic for a meeting of the Christchurch branch of the Pan Pacific and South-East Asia Women’s Association meeting at Aldersgate at 7.30 p.m., April 1. Several speakers will share their experiences and lead discussion. They are Leonie Richardson. external employment officer for the Christchurch City Council and a member of the Arantii High School Board; Bunny Matthews, a recreation officer and community workerrHariroa Daywood, of the Department of Maori Affairs, and Brent Tamatea, a field worker.

The public are welcome to this meeting, which is being held by an international organisation with members from 15 countries. • * * Quote “We're living in a time of increasing pressure to conform and in a climate of distrust of those who are different . . . Research in New Zealand has shown that because of stereotyping many individuals have a poor self-image and suffer from a sense of inferiority, simply because they accept what the dominant group in society says about them.” Pauline O’Reagan, at the 1962 Pacifica Conference. ♦ * ♦

Items to be considered for inclusion in Making it Happen should be addressed to Mrs Jacqueline Steincamp, P.O. Box 237, Christchurch.