7 minute read
The power and potential of volunteering
A passion for her community is the driving force behind Georgia Richardson’s dedication to the Rarangi Volunteer Fire Brigade.
To help inspire and celebrate the work of our region’s many volunteers Frank Nelson speaks to three people who share their stories of hope and experiences in cultivating good.
Frank Nelson
At the ripe old age of 26, volunteer fire-fighter Georgia Richardson is already a 10-year veteran with Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ). Born and raised in Kaikoura, she joined the township’s fire brigade as a raw 16-year-old and for a while was the only female “with a group of about 24 blokes”. But that didn’t bother the teenager. “Kaikoura is a small community and I knew most of them,” she laughs. “They were like dads and uncles, and we’d just give each other a hard time!” After moving north about five years ago, she joined the Rarangi Volunteer Fire Brigade where she is now a crew leader. There was already one woman there when she arrived and today females make up about a third of the 18-member team.
According to the latest annual report from FENZ, this country has 653 stations and around 15,000 fire fighters. Almost 12,000, or 80 percent, of them are volunteers, including roughly 2400 women. “FENZ has been such a big part of my life for so long now. It’s something I’ve always been really passionate about. I’ve always just loved it.” Rarangi has one fire engine and a water tanker, and Georgia says most callouts are to vegetation fires, medical emergencies such as heart attacks, and to vehicle accidents. lead on house fires and serious accidents but in those situations Rarangi still plays a crucial role; for example, preventing fire from spreading to nearby property or providing initial medical assistance to crash victims. “Our first priority is always life,” she says. At about the same time everyone in Rarangi hears the fire siren, Georgia and her colleagues are alerted by a phone app that sends details about the emergency which could be anywhere in Marlborough. She has become used to the app demanding attention at sometimes inconvenient moments. ”Just as you sit down for dinner, or get in the shower, or you’ve just got comfortable in bed… It’s Murphy’s Law!” While their main patch is in and around Rarangi they will go further afield if needed. Georgia estimates they get 60 to 70 callouts a year of which 80 to 90 percent are local to Rarangi. “To be in the fire service you really have to be in it for your community. You’ve got to have that passion for your community and want to help them.” Georgia, who comes from a farming background, now works as a sales consultant for heavy-duty agricultural, construction and forestry machinery. She and husband Kane, both keen hunters, are expecting their first child in October. She’s not sure how that will affect her role with FENZ: “I’ll probably take a week’s break but then I’ll be back into it,” she laughs.
Nathan Hanson
Aspecial empathy and affinity towards young people has led Nathan Hanson to volunteer as a helpline counsellor for Youthline Wairau and act as a facilitator for the Rainbow Group at the Marlborough Youth Trust. Two or three times a week Nathan helps Youthline handle texts and phone calls from people all over New Zealand ranging in age from as young as eight to 24. “You need to understand empathy. You need to be genuine. You need to be warm and accepting. That’s basically all it takes because most of the time youth just want to be heard. “Just being able to listen to them and empathise and validate their feelings does a lot for their self-esteem. It does a lot for the situation they’re in. “We’re having a chat with them. We’re making sure they’re okay. We’re not advising them… we’re trying to help them find their own solutions.” Callers may be dealing with such issues as depression and anxiety, eating disorders, relationship problems, bullying and abuse. Hearing their stories and being able to help them is “tough but rewarding”, says Nathan. If more serious situations arise, perhaps involving the possibility of suicide or self-harm, cases are taken over by experienced, professional counsellors.
The Rainbow Group aims to provide a safe environment for LGBT youth to hang out together; about 20 people usually meet each week to talk and enjoy shared projects such as art or drama. “It’s quite a hard life for an LGBT kid here,” says Nathan, who, as a gay man, can empathise with what they are going through. “I understand a bit more because I’ve lived it.”
Nathan, 31, is originally from Christchurch but grew up in Melbourne before returning to the garden city in 2012 to attend Cashmere High School. After 10 years working in hospitality management in Christchurch and back in Melbourne, he was ready for a change of pace so moved to Marlborough in early 2019. He began volunteering at the Blenheim Citizens Advice Bureau a year ago and within a few months was appointed to the paid part-time position of manager/coordinator. Besides his youth-related positions, Nathan is a member of the Volunteer Marlborough board of trustees and sits on the board for Top of the South Neighbourhood Support. He’s also a paid Blenheim representative on the Nelson/Marlborough Consumer Health Council.
In addition to all these commitments, Nathan is in the third and final year of a BA degree in politics and international relations which he’s working towards online through Massey University. Nathan has a clear vision of his future. “I want to be at grassroots level in the community making subtle changes that improve people’s lives. I’m realistic, so achievable goals are what I aim for.”
Ted Ellens
Advancing years and a handful of health issues are not stopping Ted Ellens doing something he finds really worthwhile - volunteering in the Blenheim community.
By the age of 77 many people would likely be slowing down a bit. And if they also had asthma, heart issues, roughly 50 per cent hearing, and two replacement hips, nobody would blame them. But that’s not the way Ted Ellens does things. He has two active volunteer roles, is training for a third, and is on the board of trustees for Volunteer Marlborough. And just for good measure he also has paid casual work as a truck driver collecting rubbish bags and recycling around the streets of Blenheim, sometimes as often as three days a week. Ted happily offers his time and expertise to the Blenheim Riverside Railway which takes kids of all ages along about six kilometres of narrowgauge track roughly following the Taylor River. The journey, crossing several bridges along the way, runs between Beaver Station, close to Blenheim town centre, and Omaka, with a midway stop at Brayshaw Heritage Park. Ted has been involved with the railway since moving to Marlborough in 2004 and was on the committee for several years. His roles now include train driver and station master, plus he’s always ready to help with repairs and maintenance when needed. “I’ve always had an interest in trains and machinery,” he said. “I was a locomotive trainee in Dunedin when I was 18. Those were the days of steam!” For the past couple of years Ted has also been driving a van to pick up and drop off members of the Alzheimers Marlborough Wither Road Club where they go to enjoy activities and entertainment. “The hard part for me is that my wife actually passed away with dementia,” said Ted, who is also saddened by the deterioration he sees in the health of two former colleagues from the Riverside Railway. His latest foray into voluntary service is with Community Patrol which will involve driving around Blenheim, Renwick, Spring Creek and Seddon in a marked patrol vehicle watching for criminal activity, suspicious behaviour or potential trouble. “We act as the eyes and ears of the police,” says Ted, who is still undergoing training. “There must always be two of us at a time and we don’t get out of the vehicle.” Ted has four children and eight grandchildren scattered around the country but now lives by himself in a Blenheim council pensioner unit. He reckons he’s doing okay and counts himself lucky to have the time and ability to lend a helping hand to others. “I don’t think I could live without being involved in some way. You receive so much more back in personal satisfaction and it lifts you up too. “And it keeps me out of mischief,” he says with a chuckle.
