Volunteers
Page 6
Talking book volunteers are 'like gold'
Reading-using a talking book machine-is one of the Foundation's most popular services. Each time a machine goes out to a new member it's taken personally by a volunteer who explains how the machine works, how to look after it and how to order talking books and magazines from the Foundation's library catalogue. Volunteers also help with technical problems, as members consider their machines to be a lifeline and don't like to be without one - even for a day.
The more than 150 talking book volunteers around the country are, according to Pat Boyle who co-ordinates the central and northern South Island area, 'like gold, much cherished by members'.
There are five regional part-time paid talking book volunteer co-ordinators. In Wellington, Glenys Marriott's longest-serving volunteer has just received a 15-year certificate. A large percentage of the volunteers have many years' experience. They do it, says Pat Boyle, because "the member's need fills a need in their life - to interact and feel they've done something good in their day. There's great satisfaction in seeing a valuable area of people's lives open up again that perhaps they'd given away. In other cases people have never thought of themselves as readers. A talking book machine offers them a whole new world."
The co-ordinators train volunteers in the two types of machines used to play the Foundation's 7000 talking book titles and recordings of over 20 different magazines. Training doesn't take long, although Wendy Flintoff, co-ordinator in Waikato says there's quite a knack to showing people how to use them. Unlike other volunteer services, many of those who volunteer for talking books are men who perhaps feel comfortable with the technical aspect of the job.
Kitty Boman, local troubleshooter in Thames, got involved when her mother had a machine.
"Knowing that people get so much enjoyment out of it, is what really appeals to me," she says. "They can keep up with what's happening in the world so they can socialise and chat about different things with friends and family."
"I sat in on someone else's training at my mum's place and went on from there. Only two of the 15 members in my area don't have a machine."
To become a talking book machine volunteer, contact your regional co-ordinator on 0800 24 33 33.