Ideas for your event
Anyone can host an event or help raise awareness for WEAAD. In particular, we encourage councils and seniors groups to jump on board and do something together on the day. As well as some ideas below, under the Resources tab you will find our WEAAD Toolkit, downloadable WEAAD merchandise, email signature banners, zoom backgrounds, information on how to purchase further materials, and a guide to marketing your event.
This year, as per previous years, WEAAD still coincides with a period in time where social events may be impacted by COVID-19, but to a lesser degree. Masks aren’t required now, however the list below has some ideas for events and activities that can be adapted to maintain safe physical distancing, or can take place online.
In 2020, Seniors Rights Victoria initiated our inaugural Purple Tea event called ‘Stir a Cuppa with Seniors’ which is now our annual WEAAD event to bring people together in conversations on ageing over morning or afternoon tea. Staff and volunteers are able to come together over a cuppa, whilst wearing purple to acknowledge WEAAD, (or if it is an online event, with something purple prominent in their background such as purple mugs, purple flowers, a purple teddy bear, nail polish, anything purple at all! There is also a Zoom background you down dowload here.) The event can be shared to social media to promote WEAAD.
For WEAAD 2023, our Stir a Cuppa with Seniors event will be held on June 15 at 1.30pm at the Melbourne Bowls Club in the Flagstaff Gardens (click here for more information). To RSVP to attend our Stir a Cuppa with Seniors event, you can phone 9655 2100 or register online here.
We encourage other organisations and members of the community to ‘Stir a Cuppa with Seniors’ and host your own Purple Tea, either in person or online with staff and volunteers in your organisation, or members of your community group, or friends and family. Why not organise your own event and have a conversation on ageing over a cuppa, whilst wearing purple or incorporating the colour purple into the event to acknowledge WEAAD. Share your photos to social media and help promote and spread awareness of WEAAD, using the hashtag #WEAAD.
Get started with our WEAAD Resources page where you will find our Toolkit, templates, banners, merchandise and more. Use our sample media release to promote it.
Stir a Cuppa with Seniors
It’s easier than ever to help spread awareness of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2023! Show your support this June 15th by ‘Stirring a Cuppa with Seniors’!
How you can get involved:
Hold your own ‘Stir a Cuppa with Seniors’ Purple Tea event.
Host your own Purple Tea, either in person or online, with staff and volunteers in your organisation, or members of your community group, or friends and family. Why not organise your own event and have a conversation on ageing over a cuppa, whilst wearing purple or incorporating the colour purple into the event to acknowledge WEAAD. Share your photos to social media and help promote and spread awareness of WEAAD using the hashtag #WEAAD.
1. Connect with colleagues, your community group, friends or family over a cuppa, either in person or online.
2. Everyone wears something purple – the official colour for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. (Or for online events, have something purple in the zoom background or event decor, eg. purple flowers, wear a purple wig, purple backdrop, purple toys, purple face paint, purple anything!)
3. Take some photos or a screenshot in Zoom, or snap a group shot of everyone stirring their cuppa!
4. Share your snaps on social media with the hashtag #WEAAD and your own personal message to show your support for seniors.
We’d love for you to share your ‘Stir a Cuppa with Seniors’ snaps with us!
Email them to info@seniorsrights.org.au
Snap a Selfie whilst ‘Stirring a Cuppa with Seniors’!
It’s as simple as snapping a selfie to show your support for seniors this World Elder Abuse Awareness Day! Simply
1. Make a cuppa
2. take a selfie with your cuppa and include something purple in the pic
3. add a hashtag #WEAAD
4. share it to social media!
It’s that easy! Or you can get as creative as you like.
We’d love for you to share your ‘Stir a Cuppa with Seniors' snaps with us! Email them to info@seniorsrights.org.au
Some suggestions:
- Take a photo, make a gif, or even record a short video.
- Dedicate your photo to someone special, eg. "Love you, Grandma! I'm 'Stirring a Cuppa with Seniors' to show my support for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day #WEAAD #bestgrandmaever"

- It doesn’t have to be a selfie, it can be a snap of just your cuppa – or even take it to the next level and express your inner-stylist by creating the perfect Instagram-worthy photo!
- It can be anything purple – the official colour for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Purple hat, purple vase, purple teddy bear, purple face paint, purple wig, purple anything!)

Definitely the easiest way to get involved!
The news section of this website will provide a space for conversations on ageing. We want to create multi-generational exploration of ageing in Australia, including how our attitudes towards ageing challenge, infringe on and/or support the rights of older people. Anyone can contribute.
Paint the town purple! Or light it up, at least…
Depending on how your building’s exterior lights work, getting your building lit up in purple could be the easiest thing you can do for WEAAD. The result is striking and is bound to get people talking. Post information on your website, social media and newsletter about the reasons for lighting the building purple so you raise people’s awareness as well as catching their attention.
Write to your local paper reminding people that our older citizens have given to us for many years and it is now our turn to give back to them. Talk about how ageism and lack of respect for our older people makes them more vulnerable to abuse. Call for the community to be proactive in engaging older people.
Maybe the simplest thing we can all do is wear purple – a splash of colour or a whole outfit. You could also decorate in purple whatever people will see (such as a window, door or tree) and provide some WEAAD information.
Host a lecture, debate, speech or presentation on ways to prevent abuse and neglect in later life - speakers are available via Seniors Rights Victoria or invite professionals from your local area who work with older people so the audience can learn how to recognise and respond to elder abuse.
Depending on how daring you are, going purple for WEAAD can be as simple as asking people to wear a touch of purple to work, providing them with some WEAAD information, and maybe even collecting money from them for an organisation working to stop elder abuse.
Have the Mayor or local MP plant a tree to mark the day. A declaration could be made by the Mayor or MP to commit to reduce elder abuse in the community through raising awareness and choosing policies that make your community a positive place to grow older. Invite the community to watch the tree planting – or have everyone plant a tree in commemoration of the older people who influenced their lives. Tie big purple ribbons round the trees.
You could raise money to help people experiencing elder abuse to receive the support they need by having a “purple or pay” day at your office. People can wear purple – or they can pay to not wear purple! For an more charitable twist, you can put a low cost ($1) on wearing purple and a high cost ($5) on not wearing purple. Offer a prize for the most purple person in your office.
These can be set up with purple balloons and information from Seniors Rights Victoria about WEAAD. You may need permission or a permit for some places.
Invite community members or schools to participate in making posters and displaying these in libraries, local councils or shopping centres. It’s great to get schools involved – students can practice their graphic design or photography skills while creating an eye-catching display to help raise awareness in the general community. They also learn about elder abuse in the process and reflect on their own relationships with older people.
Displayed in the local community centre, library or health centre, the information can be accessed by at-risk people too and help them to understand the assistance available.
Local councils or other organisations could organise and promote an “Awareness Walk” and invite community members to participate. This can be particularly effective if you choose a very public route and all wear purple!
Use social networking to raise the awareness about abuse of older people. Post positive messages about ageing. Lots of good information available on elder abuse websites.
Hold a morning or afternoon tea. You could invite a guest speaker to introduce topics around elder abuse or simply use it as an opportunity for guests to have an open conversation with each other. Guests could wear purple and eat purple food.
You can buy and wear a WEAAD purple ribbon. You could also buy a length of purple fabric (you probably want it at least half a meter wide) and tie it in a bow around a tree, a lamp post, a pillar or column on your building or a door handle.
In fact, why not get your whole business community behind you with purple ribbons along every street?
Decorate poles, seats, bike racks etc with knitted or crocheted art (yarn bombing) – the photograph on the left shows a great example from Frankston who used yarn bombing to draw attention to elder abuse in 2014. Not only is the art eye-catching but Frankston cleverly hung information cards from decorated poles so that people had the information they needed to learn more
What better way to challenge stereotypes of ageing than with a seniors flashmob! Organise one for your group. See tips HERE
- Benefit concert
- Picnic or games day
- Bowl-a-thon
- Knit-a-thon (make a WEAAD banner)
- Film night
- Street art
- Fashion show (purple clothes from op-shops)
- Sponsorship for a personal challenge
- Trivia night (include questions on ageing)
- Dance
- Talent quest
- Volunteer day
- Benefit concert
- Book club/discussion group on elder abuse
- Essay or playwriting competition
- Purple food event
- Competitions
We’ll be adding to this page as people send us ideas or questions so feel free to contact us if you think we should add something.
For resources from other Australian organisations see here and here.