Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your past experience?

(Ed: Wendy’s sister Marilyn Edwards was born with Cerebral Palsy and it was Wendy’s mum, Phyllis Edwards who founded the charity with a group of local mums 55 years ago. Wendy met Eric 11 and a half years ago and they both volunteer together for the charity)
 
Wendy: I was born in Brighton and moved to Poole when I was 5. I am a trained nurse ( I trained in Poole!)  I was 6 years old when Marilyn was born. Eric (who’s from the Home Counties) and I met just over 11 years ago and we make a pretty good team. Unfortunately Eric was made redundant 9 years ago so since then he has done various odd jobs like gardening and decorating and we tend to go together.

What are your hobbies/interests? Is there anything unusual you like to do in your spare time?!

We recently bought a new mobile home which has given us great freedom. Our first trip was to Scotland and since then we’ve trekked off to Ireland, France and the Isle of Wight in it! We are very family-oriented and spend a lot of time with our kids and our 8 grandchildren. We are also socialites and enjoy eating out – recently we went to a fantastic Michael Buble tribute evening at the Westbeach hotel in Bournemouth which Diverse Abilities Plus organised.

What sort of volunteering do you do/ have you done for Diverse Abilities Plus?  What tasks does that involve/skills does that use?

We’ve done  gardening and decorating projects at a  few of the  Supported Living bungalows . We’ve also manned a stand at the Dorset County Show which was great fun and we had the added bonus of being able to look around the rest of the show. We also took represented Diverse Abilities Plus and took collections at the Swanage Carnival  in the summer.

Wendy: I personally would rather get involved with the fund-raising activities or the painting & decorating projects than caring directly for the clients.

Do you do regular volunteering or on an ad hoc basis?

It tends to be ad hoc – we help if we can but we never feel any pressure to get involved.

What made you decide to Volunteer for DAP?

Wendy: Given my mum’s involvement in the charity right from the beginning, it’s just something I have always done.

Had you had any previous experience in Volunteering? If so, where?

Wendy: I’ve always volunteered for the schools eg PTA and Christmas events as well as all my kids’ clubs

Eric: I used to be part of a group of ‘Football Dads’ who were responsible for driving the team around.

What have you gained/learnt from your Volunteering experience? Is it what you expected?

For us there has been so much we have gained. It’s a lot about feeling appreciated – everyone seems to be genuinely grateful for what we do. Besides, being able to see the results of our efforts is reward in itself.  Watching other people for example on the stands at shows and being part of the Collection Pot team has helped us learn what to do.

What do you enjoy about volunteering for DAP?

We’ve developed some great relationships with the staff and we have such admiration for the carers. The staff / resident ratio has dropped over the years so the staff really don’t have any free time to do any of the ‘extras’ which is where we can help.

Would you recommend other people get involved? Why?

Definitely. We’ve got so much out of it and we are sure others would too. We’ve found that if people know someone who is involved, they’re more likely to get involved themsleves. Just by telling other people about Diverse Abilities Plus and how we’re involved has sparked our friends’ interest. Find a hobby or a skill you want to develop and ask if it can fit a task.  

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Just give it a go! Even if you just get in touch with one of your kids’ clubs eg Guides or a Swimming club and ask them to support the charity. You’d be amazed how easy it is to make a difference!