News Release
For release: 18 April 2017
ANZ team up with Age Concern to help elderly get tech savvy
Peter Grant is listening to music he hasn’t heard in decades, and he’s streaming it over the internet.
“I’ve just been listening to Julian Lee playing with Mavis Rivers who was a New Zealand singer way, way back in the day
and it’s just unreal. I think it’s marvellous.”
Mr Grant – a resident of Ranfurly Retirement Village - is in a one-on-one session with an ANZ staff member who is
showing him how to make the most of technology.
It’s part of an initiative, #ANZinthecommunity, where ANZ staff volunteer to help elderly people learn about technology,
internet banking and staying safe online.
Partnering with Age Concern, ANZ ran three Auckland workshops in April where staff shared tips on everything from
streaming shows and music to how to safely and securely do banking online.
Age Concern CEO Kevin Lamb welcomed the workshops, saying despite older generations sometimes struggling with
technology, it was important they were included so they could participate.
“At its core it is about encouraging people to embrace new technology in doing their banking, but it is so much more
than that. With older people you have got to start by encouraging them to use technology in the first place,” he said.
“The opportunity to get one on one support where you have one member of ANZ and an older person working together to
really understand how the technology can work for them, how they can do their banking online, is by far the most
effective way of getting the message across to the people that we want to help.”
ANZ Managing Director for Retail and Business Banking Antonia Watson said the initiative was something teams were keen
to be involved with.
“When you think of the amount of change that some people have seen in their lifetime, it can be pretty overwhelming,”
Mrs Watson said. “Venturing online can be a big step, but often all it takes is some initial guidance and good advice to
give them the confidence to join in the online world.”
As part of the workshop, elderly were told how to safely monitor and manage their money online with internet banking,
and how not to fall victim to online scams.
“One of the saddest things to really reflect on is 1 in 10 of the people over 65 in this country suffer from some form
of abuse or neglect, and half of that is going to be financially motivated,” Mr Lamb said. “So if we can avoid that and
help people notice the signs so we can stop it happening before it becomes a problem that can only be a good thing.”
The #ANZinthecommunity initiative means staff can volunteer one day each year to help a local community or charity. Each
year staff volunteer more than 15,000 hours.
ENDS