Lyn Edwards has been appointed to the role of Marketing Manager for the Retirement Village Residents Association of NSW, in a strategic drive to build memberships and boost its profile with Government and village operators.
RVRA President Jim Gibbons and Lyn Edwards visited our office (photographed with DCM Editor Lauren Broomham) to outline their objectives.
The RVRA wishes to expand its resource service which requires additional funding via membership fees, plus it seeks to build its on the ground presence across more NSW villages.
It also wishes to market to operators that it is a ‘power for good’ in villages.
The RVRA identifies that 80% of its enquiries are solved by providing information, so the village resident or their family can advocate for themselves or accept the situation they have a concern about.
The association has produced 26 instruction sheets and seeks to expand this service.
Jim says the RVRA provides a unique service to the sector that few operators appreciate, and he wishes to get that fact across – that the RVRA actually ‘puts out a lot of fires’.
Another area they wish to boost is resident committees, which the RVRA believes has failed as a concept in a number of villages due to dysfunction, that can be damaging for residents and operators. They want to strengthen this vehicle.
He says that the RVRA wishes to educate residents that they have rights but they also have obligations to adhere to the regulations as well. This better understanding will generate ‘happier’ villages, which he says wil also boost sales.
Lyn Edwards’ role is to further establish that the RVRA is made up of people ‘just like you’, the directors have empathy and understanding of the ageing journey. The RVRA also ‘has your back’.
They currently have 130 village ambassadors. Lyn’s role is also to increase that number significantly.
In other moves, the RVRA has achieved charity status, making the $10 joining fee and $30 annual membership tax deductible.
DCM will be working with the RVRA to support a regular newsletter to village residents.
