Volunteers
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Making the difference - an update from volunteer services
Early 2006 marked a significant change in the way the Foundation thought about and provided its Volunteer Services.
"That January we received the results of the independent volunteer services review, and the report had several recommendations," says national volunteer services manager, Alison Marshall.
"We were advised we needed to define the volunteer programme, revise and update the programme's policies and guidelines and seek new ways to involve volunteers in supporting members and key Foundation issues."
With more than 2000 registered volunteers (compared to 350 staff) the Foundation recognised how important it was to implement the findings in the report.
Alison says, "Volunteers provide valuable services to our members and will often have more regular ongoing contact with them than our staff are able to."
In defining the volunteer programmes, the Foundation identified all the roles volunteers offer individual members and groups of members.
"The roles are as diverse as driving, reading and/or writing, visiting members in their homes or in hospital, shopping, keeping in regular phone contact and assisting them with a recreational pursuit such as sport or knitting."
Volunteers also work inside the Foundation in roles ranging from talking book machine and Telephone Information Service demonstrators to Perkins brailler repairs and joining the Speakers' Bureau.
"It is really important for members to know about our volunteers, so they know what they can access if they have a need for support in a particular area," says Alison.
"Members need to feel confident that all our registered volunteers have been interviewed and screened before we even offer the opportunity of working with us. Once they are OK'ed, then we ensure that they are given the appropriate level of training for their new role."
Even with all the assistance the Foundation offers, Alison is quick to point out that Foundation volunteers are not the only source of support for members in their communities.
"When people feel isolated, they don't always pick up on other opportunities for support in their local area. Members can also go to their GPs as well as Age Concern, their local church, home help or other support agencies for additional help."
Alison says with the feedback in the 2006 review, Volunteer Services are going from strength to strength. "We want to develop a volunteer
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service that has a high level of synergy across the organisation and which is responsive to the Foundation's membership and committed to continuous improvement."
As part of that process, the programme has planned activities through to 2010.
One new key focus is to increase the number of members volunteering for the Foundation. "We believe that volunteering not only enhances members' participation in society, it also provides good role models and leadership in both the blind and sighted communities."
For more information about Volunteer Services, please phone 0800 24 33 33 and ask for your local volunteer services coordinator.
Jim Begley
In Whakatane, Jim Begley has been a Foundation volunteer for eleven years. An octogenarian is probably not the first image that springs to mind when people think of a volunteer, but Jim's as keen as mustard and got involved because his wife Betty is vision-impaired.
He's part of the special LENS (Learning Everyday New Skills) group, which meet monthly and offer local members the opportunity to learn new skills to meet the challenges of their sight loss. In its sixth year, the group is a New Zealand first and Jim says that, beyond learning, its success lies in connecting members with each other and with the volunteers and Foundation staff in Whakatane. "No one comes away from the LENS group lonely," he says. "Our goal is to create a family atmosphere, so we can care for each other."
Jim also acts as a volunteer driver and supports new members as they become Foundation members and gain access to the different services.
A local tale about Jim's passion for volunteering comes from one Guide Dog Appeal. Jim volunteered to collect for the appeal and used a teaser to get locals to stop and donate. "I had a heap of tree bark on the ground and when people stopped and asked what it was for, I told them - "we've got the bark, all we need now is the dog" - it worked a treat!"