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Volunteers
Our volunteer force underwent a change. Originally all calls received were channelled
out through the churches. A map of the Borough, displayed in our office, pinpoints churches
of all denominations. 1969 saw the steady growth of our list of individual volunteers— people
not necessarily attached to a church, who had heard of our work, and other who had written to
the Borough offering to do voluntary social work and had been referred to us. Some of the
people who have received help have, in turn, offered their help.
All volunteers are interviewed to find out what type of work they would like to do
i.e. working with children or old people, or whether they would prefer to work independently
or with a group. Our volunteers come from all walks of life — our youngest is a schoolboy of
ten who shops for elderly people and helps with gardening — others include a recently retired
bus driver, policemen and nurses willing to help in their limited off duty time, housewives,
garage mechanics, clerical workers, an ex-child care officer, probation officer and health
visitor. These are joined on the list by groups of young people from youth clubs.
By the end of 1969 we had dealt with over 600 cases. The variety is wide. Sometimes
the request is straightforward — can we find someone to transport a person to the psychiatric
clinic? Others are more complex and need consultation with the social worker involved. Sometimes
we are fortunate and find help at our first attempt. We have made 19 telephone calls
during two hours of continuous telephoning, to find someone to sit with a dying man.
It is very important in some cases to find the right volunteer. Here again we are helped
and guided by the social worker' Please send someone who will be kindly but firm'
This close relationship and consultation helps to ensure that volunteer effort is used most
effectively and perhaps to avoid any disasters.
What can volunteers do? Looking through our case histories it is exciting to see what
can be done. Sometimes a volunteer has helped prevent a person having a nervous breakdown —
in one case this meant giving relief on three days a week to a mother with a severely subnormal
and spastic child.
Sometimes volunteers have enabled a person to return home instead of remaining in
hospital.
During a strike in October, volunteer drivers, using their own cars, kept the Meals on
Wheels service in operation by helping to deliver over 300 meals.
At 48 hours notice two volunteers stepped in and acted as escorts for a party of 22
handicapped people due to go for two weeks holiday.
Children have been cared for when mothers have been ill. Volunteers have supplemented
the work of the home helps, especially during the winter months when elderly people are
temporarily bedridden with colds and 'flu. Much of the work can be put into categories but in
a large proportion of the cases there are many different needs to be met and any help given
must be worked out with the social worker in an attempt to make this right and acceptable to
the individual or family.
We have managed to provide a 'round-the-clock' service for emergencies.
In May the Walthamstow West Rotary Club held a ball at the Assembly Hall and raised
over £1,000 to buy us a minibus. This is used extensively at the time of writing this report,
plans are in hand to help transport people to Roberts Hall.
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