Anzac Kiss by Darren Seiler, of The Advertiser (Adelaide) – a finalist in the national photography section of the 2004 OPSO Media Awards.

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A short history of
Older People Speak Out (OPSO)

(updated February 4, 2007)

OPSO began in 1992 as the result of a meeting between representatives from media and older people’s organisations. More than 80 percent of older people had criticised the media for ignoring their issues, and the media blamed organisations for not knowing how to work with them.

Representatives of the media then suggested that Val French, who had retired from the position of senior lecturer in journalism at QUT, form an organisation to educate older people on modern communication skills.

Thus OPSO became a resource for the Australian community. Because it is made up of feisty older volunteers, OPSO shows the community, by example, the value of older workers.

We believe in the value of an intergenerational, interactive community. OPSO involves the young and those the community regards as too old; and in some areas like unemployment and grandparents bringing up grandchildren – that can be at 45.

OPSO’s task is to identify the needs and issues, and then do something.

We believe in action.

For example, our Older and Wiser mature-age unemployment project highlighted the problems and provided solutions to these problems.

OPSO travels, listens to people, and conducts classes on all aspects of communication and road and personal safety. We also produce and deliver the video ‘Think Big, Think Clever’, and a book of activities, ‘Fun for the Frail and Frisky’. We conduct courses such as Creative Writing, Working with the Media, Getting your Message Across and Newsletters.

OPSO works continually with the media.

We seek the needs of the people and help find solutions: for example we identified social isolation on the Gold Coast and set up Connect the Coast; we worked with the Police Task Force to produce and deliver the booklet, ‘Confident, Safe and Secure Living in Queensland’.

OPSO took a bus of seven members throughout western Queensland to seek the views and needs of communities of all walks of life and all ages.

The State Media Awards and National Media Awards are the gems in the OPSO crown. Entries came from top-rating programs like Andrew Denton’s ‘Enough Rope’, the ‘Today Show’, ‘Australian Story’ and all major newspapers and magazines. This means the message is getting through: that positive ageing is essential if we are to reduce elder abuse, social isolation, mature aged unemployment, and low self-esteem.

OPSO also holds the Peoples’ Choice and the Schools Media Awards, to give the public the opportunity to nominate a media work of their choice.

We give lectures at the Queensland Police Academy, at universities, and speak at conferences, dinners and numerous public engagements.

Recent innovations are the intergenerational Mock Parliament for Seniors Week to get the message of positive ageing and intergenerational activities across to the community.

We worked with the Queensland University of Technology in its national educational web and video project, ‘Subject: The reality of ageing’.

Because of the breadth of our research, consultations and network of OPSO Friends, our members belong to a long list of government advisory committees.

These cover health, education, transport, crime prevention, Centrelink, grandparents bringing up grandchildren, road safety, pedestrian safety, mental illness, housing, elder abuse, nursing homes, Home and Community Care, retirement village accreditation, men’s health, intergenerational activities, recreation and media, social isolation.

OPSO did the first Queensland research on grandparents bringing up grandchildren and helped set up COGS (the Council of Grandparents) and support groups. OPSO is also working to improve HAAC services and nursing homes. OPSO has major projects on nursing homes, crime prevention and fear of crime, and is developing intergenerational programs and kits to help re-establish integrated communities.