About Us
An association built by the people it serves
We are retirees organising for retirees, in the city of Rijeka and across Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.
Mission
Our mission is to improve the daily quality of life of retired citizens in Croatia through social involvement, lifelong learning and dignified representation. We believe a pension marks a change of role, not a withdrawal from society. Every programme we run is designed so that an eighty-year-old with a walking stick and a sixty-two-year-old newly retired engineer can both find something useful, sociable and respectful on the same afternoon.
Vision
We work towards a Croatia where older citizens are digitally confident, legally informed, physically active and socially connected — and where national practice matches or exceeds European Union standards for active aging, accessibility and senior welfare. We measure success not in events held but in members who leave isolation behind.
History & legacy
From a reading circle in a borrowed municipal room to a county-wide association with volunteer coordinators in every district.
2009
Founding
Eleven retirees from the Svilno district register the association and begin monthly meetings in a borrowed municipal hall.
2011
First computer room
Donated desktop machines allow the first structured computer literacy course for members over 65.
2013
Croatia joins the EU
The association pivots towards EU rights education, explaining freedom of movement, healthcare cards and pension portability.
2016
County partnership
A formal cooperation agreement with municipal welfare services opens shared venues across Primorje-Gorski Kotar.
2019
Ten years, one thousand members
The membership register passes one thousand active members and the volunteer tutor programme is formalised.
2021
Telephone circle
Launched during pandemic isolation and kept permanently: weekly calls to members living alone.
2023
Intergenerational programme
Secondary school students join as tech tutors and oral-history interviewers, pairing with senior members.
2025
Regional network
Coordination with sister associations in Istria, Zagreb and Slovenia on cross-border senior welfare projects.
Executive Board & community coordinators
Our board is elected for a four-year mandate by the General Assembly. Coordinators are volunteers, most of them retired members themselves.
Marija Vukelić
President
Retired secondary school director from Sušak. Founding member; leads advocacy before county and national bodies.
Ivan Perković
Vice-President
Former shipyard engineer at 3. Maj. Coordinates venue logistics and the accessible transport scheme.
Dubravka Šimić
Secretary General
Retired municipal administrator. Responsible for membership records, GDPR compliance and correspondence.
Zoran Babić
Treasurer
Retired bank branch manager. Prepares the annual financial statement and grant reporting.
Ana Kovačević
Coordinator, Digital Inclusion
Retired librarian. Trains and schedules the volunteer tutor corps for the smartphone and e-Građani courses.
Josip Matulja
Coordinator, Active Aging
Retired physiotherapist. Designs the walking, balance and gentle exercise sessions with local clinics.
Vesna Radić
Coordinator, Social Support
Retired nurse. Runs the telephone circle and organises home visits for members with limited mobility.
Petra Lukšić
Coordinator, Intergenerational Programme
Teacher and volunteer. Links secondary school students with senior members for tutoring and oral history.
Transparency & compliance
The details below are provided in the exact form required by non-profit verification services, including TechSoup and Google for Nonprofits.
The association is a registered non-profit legal entity in the Republic of Croatia. It does not distribute profit, holds no commercial trading purpose, and applies all revenue to programme delivery for retired citizens. Signed statutes, the register extract and annual reports are available on written request to the Secretary General.
- Legal name
- Hrvatska Udruga Umirovljenika Europskih Integracija
- OIB (Tax ID)
- 33098033965
- Registered headquarters
- Svilno 25, Most Svilno, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
- Country
- Croatia (Republic of Croatia)
- Telephone
- +385 51 252 465
- dickerson-theodoreg@gmx.com
- Status
- Registered Non-Profit Senior Citizens Association / NGO
- Founded
- 2009
Formatted for TechSoup and Google for Nonprofits verification.