Shona Rattley - Emergency services team leader
"part of my life from an early age…"
Shona is 38 and married with a 15 year old daughter. She works full time with the education authority in Wiltshire. She has been a volunteer since 2001 and still manages to find time to help WRVS emergency services.
"WRVS has been part of my life from an early age - my mother received her 30-year service award recently, having joined as a young wife.
"In those years she was at one time or the other involved in almost all the WRVS projects which were running in the area, including organising Meals on Wheels deliveries and starting up the Books on Wheels service. Organising the local emergency services team was also part of her life until very recently."
In her time with WRVS she has been involved in many different Emergency services call-outs including;
• helping at the Fairford airbase in Gloucestershire handing out food and drinks to the large contingent of police officers monitoring an anti-war demonstration
• feeding the night shift police monitoring people leaving the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge
• on stand-by to set up and run an information centre in the event of a major disaster at the Royal International Air tattoo, again at the Fairford base. WRVS also looked after a special enclosure for disabled people watching the air display
Michael Ryan - Emergency services volunteer
"I want to inspire young people to volunteer…"
Michael is 21 years old and has been involved with WRVS since the age of 15.
Michael is a people person and he hopes to start a career in the police service.
"I used to be a carer for my Gran when she was ill with cancer. It was my Gran who inspired me to stay active with WRVS as I realised that there must be many more people like her in similar circumstances. It's so difficult in this day and age to 'be there' for your Mum, Dad, Gran or Grandad. Everyone's got to go where their work takes them and that does of course mean limited contact with older relatives and friends.
"It's important for people to acknowledge that they can't always be there, so wouldn't it be nice if they had the peace of mind to know that someone else was there, looking after them and checking on their health and welfare. It's an option we all have, we only have to look into our local community, wherever we live, and see if we can give a bit of our time to someone older.
WRVS (http://www.wrvs.org.uk) is one of the UK's largest charities and voluntary organisations. WRVS aims to give older people the opportunity and choice to get more out of life. If you are interested in voluntary work or would like to make a charity donation, please contact WRVS.
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