Volunteer week day 7 - Guide me O' Thou Great Redeemer

Northumbria Blood Bikes's picture

I’ve been a volunteer since I was 13, when I offered to help out at the Brownie Pack that my mother led. My motivation was purely selfish- based solely on my wish to escape from sibling harassment - but many years later, I am still heavily involved with the Guiding movement, having held many and varied offices and currently running a Guide unit for girls aged 10-14 years. Along the way I have learned to be child psychologist, active listener, activity co-ordinator, teacher, social worker, team manager, first aider, financial wizard, risk assessor, and develop conciliatory skills worthy of ACAS and the UN. I’ve volunteered for other things as an adult and one of my treasured possessions is an NBTS plate for 100 blood and plasma donations. Notwithstanding my rarer blood group, it seemed a reasonable thing to sign up for, and to be told in 2012 I could never give again for medical reasons was bitterly disappointing. However, through my membership of an advanced motorcycle club I discovered that if I couldn’t give it, I could at least carry it, so I joined Northumbria Blood Bikes- a volunteer courier service which takes blood and urgent resources between the hospitals in the North East. I ride on a regular basis either through the night or at weekends or bank holidays and I fund raise.

Why do these things? Look up the definition of a volunteer and you’ll find they are “unpaid helpers”. Correct - you wouldn’t believe how many people think Guiders get paid and/or get their uniform supplied, though!-and any volunteer will get exactly the same pay of Nothing, Nowt, or Zilch for their time and effort. In order to explain better, you’d have to come to one of my Guide meetings where we’re all helpless with laughter or where they’ve given me a surprise birthday party. Or you’d have to come along to a Bloodbike fundraising where a member of the public gives you all their spare change because their family member was saved by a blood transfusion.

I was talking with my two friends about going to Ascot in June ( I don’t spend all my spare time volunteering!) and one suggested that I stay down for the weekend after we’d been on the Thursday/Friday. “I’ll have to get back”, I said, “I have Bloodbike duty on the Saturday and it’s church parade with Guides on the Sunday”. “Heavens”, said one of my friends, “You can cancel those, can’t you? Someone else can do it.” “Don’t be silly,” said my other friend, “It’s what you do, isn’t it?” 

Yes, it is. 

#MakeADifference

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