3 minute read
Local Hero - Geoff Holland, volunteer with St John WA
Volunteers are the lifeblood of good causes, and within the Subiaco community there are many locals giving their time for the benefit of others. Brooke Evans-Butler spoke to Subiaco resident Geoff Holland about volunteering with St John WA.
GIVING BACK
GEOFF HOLLAND WAS no stranger to volunteering (having some previous experience in a call-in centre and teaching English in an orphanage in Vietnam) when several years ago while living in Menzies – a small town 130 kilometres North of Kalgoorlie – he was asked if he was interested in becoming a volunteer Regional Ambulance Officer with St John WA.
Geoff found volunteering with St John WA to be very rewarding, and, being in such a small town, decided to also volunteer in Kalgoorlie and Karratha to get more experience. “I had some good experiences, and I certainly learned a lot,” he recalls. “Such was being part of a group of people, the paramedics, who are amongst the best people on the planet.”
When Geoff retired from his job in Menzies, he got chatting with some paramedics about the volunteering options available once he returned to Perth. “One of the options was an Event Health Officer, where you have an ambulance at a sporting function or other event. There was first aid awareness, where you go out to schools and deliver education lessons, and the other option was Community Transport Service, a door to door transport service that assists people to their medical appointments,” he explains.
“Community transport services really appealed to me,” the retired teacher says. “It’s a bit like picking up your sick mother or grandmother. I didn’t know what to expect but where I get my joy from are these elderly people. Then there is a discussion on the way to the appointment, and it is not about their sickness – it is a funny story or something in the media with respect to world affairs, so it really is quite upbeat.”
He says one memorable person he has picked up was a young woman going for regular dialysis treatment. “The takeaway lesson there is how positive she is about life, about getting a job, yet having to go in to have dialysis two or three times a week,” Geoff says. “It makes you stop complaining about your own problems. You can be sick, but you can still be a very dignified and positive person.”
The transport jobs take Geoff
much further than his own backyard – travelling as far North as Burns Beach to around the Hills and South of the river.
It is a big year for St John WA, with 130 years of delivering First Aid in WA and 100 years of delivering the State’s emergency ambulance services. For Geoff, being part of an organisation making such a difference to the community gives a sense of pride.
“Being part of St John as a CTS volunteer driver has you part of a large professional organisation that is also very personal,” he says. “As a volunteer you feel that you are making a valued contribution to the overall health system. As for day-today driving, it is a joy to transport people who are appreciative, grateful and possess good old-fashioned values. The patients are vibrant and love a good chinwag while in the car and are especially excited if you pick up multiple passengers to go to a luncheon or similar event. You hear some fantastic stories and meet some very intelligent and accomplished people.
“While transporting our passengers you know that you are providing a service that is affordable and makes a huge difference to them,” he adds. “You get to see some beautiful areas of Perth and the metropolitan area that you may not have otherwise seen. You also get to know where all the great cafes are. Overall, it is a very uplifting experience and when you go home you know you’ve done a good and valued job.”
If you’d like to give back to your community and find out more, head to stjohnchangelives.com.au
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