SUPER WOMEN

Age is no barrier for these irrepressible seniors, who’ve taken on tasks and tools often seen as better suited to the younger among us.

PHOTOS SALINA GALVAN

Born in Matamata in 1937 and raised in Te Aroha, June Wyatt answers the phone by reciting her phone number old-school-style: “Te Aroha 5656, June speaking”. But then it’s straight back to the future…

“ I P H O T O C O P I E D T H E K E Y B O A R D A N D T O O K I T H O M E A N D W O R K E D O U T WHAT DID WHAT.”

Name: June Wyatt Age: 82

Having worked in secretarial roles until her retirement in 2004, this formidable fellow of the Association of Administrative Professionals (AAPNZ), former Brownies guide leader and Waikato provincial trainer, foundation member of the Te Aroha & District Tramping Club and, until recently, office assistant and treasurer of Te Aroha Family Budgeting Services is, among other things, a member of the Piako This is ME initiative (which supports women and girls to get active), editor of Te Aroha’s St Mark’s Anglican church’s quarterly magazine, treasurer of Te Aroha’s Continuing Education group and Ministers Association, and reviewer of annual income and expenditure accounts for five organisations. She also teaches seniors about tech.

Word processing, Excel spreadsheet, downloading apps… June finds out what folks want to know, then clues them up. “I help people set up their home computers, and make contact lists, set up databases and do their accounts. Most things people could sort out themselves, but they panic. I give them the confidence to do things themselves by showing them, then getting them to do it while I watch.”

One of her clients is 90 years old and in the process of writing her memoir. When she needed assistance with file management, June was there to help. “She didn’t know where things were,” says June. “I showed her how to find stuff on her hard drive, then got her last chapter on her desktop for easy access.”

Another client needed help with her emails. “She couldn’t open them or attachments,” says June.

June worked as a PA for 19 years and did quite a bit of tech training as part of that. “When people were using typewriters with extra memory, someone showed me a word processor,” she says. “I photocopied the keyboard and took it home and worked out what did what.”

Recently, this gregarious senior started a group called Peer Tech, which teaches seniors how to get more out of their devices. “It has an informal format, with people sharing their knowledge under the guidance of myself and another person, so that they learn what they need and want to know, rather than onesize-fits-all,” says June, who was “gobsmacked” to have 22 people in attendance at her first session. “It was really good to see the interaction among the group. I’m excited and hope it will be regular and ongoing.”

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT PEER TECH, EMAIL PEERTECH@MAIL.COM.

Tauranga senior citizen Val Heffer – known to her social media connections as @HighTechVal – is all over Twitter. It’s a key way in which she supports her son, mayor of Tauranga Tenby Powell…

“ W E C A N ’ T E A S I LY G E T O U T T O S E E E A C H O T H E R , S O I H AV E A G I N A N D C A L L H E R O N M Y C E L L P H O N E EVERY DAY.”

Name: Val Heffer Age: 91

Val is not your ordinary social media super-user. “Tenby got me an iPhone years ago and I loved it,” says Val. “I got rid of my computer, laptop, everything, and now I just use this.”

It was Tenby who helped her set up her Twitter account too, “because he thought I should be on there instead of mooching about at home”, says Val, who says she’s seen anything and everything but enjoys going on Twitter to read the news, “and I then comment on local things” – including Tenby’s professional happenings, about which she retweets up a storm.

“I like social media immensely,” she says. “There’s negativity, too, but there’ll always be someone to spoil the party.”

Val says she’s amazed at the huge improvements in communication speed cell phones have allowed and considers hers a great safety measure, “because you can communicate quickly if you’re out at night and need help”. It also helps her feel more socially connected. “My friend had a stroke, and we can’t easily get out to see each other. So I have a gin and call her on my cell phone every day and we chat for half an hour.”

Val’s step-children live all over the world, from Brazil to the UK, but thanks to her device of choice, she’s an active part of their lives. “We have a group text and FaceTime has been magical,” she says. “I love it because I know what my whole family’s doing. It helps us communicate better.

She also enjoys “how you can use the apps to order taxis or food”, although she says she hasn’t had time to use UberEats yet as “I’ve been too busy cooking meals for the new mayor”. All in all, without her iPhone, Val reckons “I’d be lost.”

Some call her an eco warrior, but Mary Rose isn’t so sure that description sits right. Call her an activist, though, and the placard-waving octogenarian will say that’s the perfect fit…

“ W E W E R E R A I S I N G AWA R E N E S S O F T H E G O V E R N M E N T ’ S R O L E I N S U P P O R T I N G O U R OIL INDUSTRY.”

Name: Mary Rose Age: 81

Now in her ninth decade, Tauranga resident Mary Rose has plenty of energy left to keep going into battle over things that matter to her. Her cause is primarily raising awareness of climate change and the reduction of carbon emissions. She believes there’s more to fear from climate change in the long-term than what Coronavirus can deliver and is committed to nonviolent action directed at change at governmental level.

Mary Rose is a member of Extinction Rebellion (XR), a global movement formed to highlight the need for action around climate change. “It involves a lot of people who’ve been involved in past nonviolent actions,” she says. “XR aims to motivate people to feel concerned about and engage in issues of climate change, so politicians will do what needs to be done.”

She’s not afraid to stop traffic if she has a message she feels needs to be heard. In November, for example, she was involved in a climate change protest that blocked a central Wellington street. Mary Rose was the XR group spokesperson interviewed by national media.

“We were raising awareness of the Government’s role in supporting our oil industry, and the role of that industry in undermining our ability to honour New Zealand’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions,” she says.

More recently, she was out on Tauranga streets waving placards with three others. All carried caring COVID-19-related messaging and the advice to refer to reputable information sources.

Mary Rose’s past life was once vastly different to now – much more traditional and docile. She describes herself as being a farmer’s wife and mother of four, but at

51, she “ran away from home”. Leaving her marriage and married name behind, she adopted the name Rose. A long journey of self-awareness followed, with life lessons and education opportunities adding to her initial training as a school teacher. She devoured opportunities to learn about and experience things like sustainable living, social ecology, collective and co-operative leadership, and the importance of communication.

Also important to Mary Rose is her life as a Quaker. The silence, collective leadership and recognised role of older women all appeal. She’s also “absolutely, strongly” drawn to community living. Various versions of co-housing have featured prominently in her life. Today Mary Rose can’t imagine life without the support of her partner, Joy; the two are now married.

Mary Rose’s message to younger people is to speak up about concerns wherever and whenever possible. “And love yourself, your neighbours and the planet.”