The role played by hundreds of unpaid helpers across the Stewartry is set to be highlighted.
Volunteers’ Week begins today, aiming to celebrate the contribution made by millions of people across the UK who give their time to help others.
One charity which relies heavily on volunteers is Galloway Community Transport (GCT), a subsidiary of Glenkens and Community Arts Trust (GCAT).
It offers minibus hire, provides transport to people needing to go to hospital appointments and also runs bus services.
Co-ordinator Sue McMinn said: “The fantastic team of volunteer drivers provide vital transport for individuals and groups across Galloway.
“During Volunteers Week, GCT manager Jon Betts and myself would like to say a huge thank you to the team of drivers whose contribution makes the work of GCT possible.
“GCT patient transport drivers generously use their own vehicles to take patients to appointments and their mileage expenses are reimbursed.
“Doing this, GCT drivers provide not only transport for people who need it most, they are sometimes the only social contact that person may have during the week.
“GCT simply would not be able to operate without the amazing contribution made by the dedicated team of volunteer drivers. Driving for GCT can offer the opportunity to visit new places and meet new people, and also the chance to see what some of our local community projects involve.”
One of the GCT volunteers is retired teacher Jenny Smith from Kirkcudbright.
She used to drive minibuses for school trips as anyone who passed their driving test before 1997 also qualified to drive a minibus.
And she has now been volunteering for GCT for the past six or seven years.
Jenny said: “I felt, having come to the end of my teaching career and possibly having a few years left in my box, I might be able to do the same thing on a different basis and that’s where GCT came in.
“It allows rural schools to function and go places and still do things with groups of young people as well as all sorts of other groups.
“A huge number of different groups use the buses and I think in a rural community that’s incredibly important.
“And even if there is a bus route, trying to get kids to it can be difficult. People who organise activities in the summer hire in the buses to get kids to them that wouldn’t get there otherwise.
“I think it tackles issues of discrimination on location, it helps to support that and make sure people have equal opportunities.”
Another key aspect of GCT’s offering is providing transport to get people to and from hospital appointments.
Jenny, 64, said: “My husband is a disabled driver and does an awful lot of that.
“It helps people get to things they might otherwise not get to – he’s had enough hospital treatments to know how that feels.
“A lot of people are drivers themselves but will only drive locally. The whole thing can be stressful – so much health is contracted out appointments and can be at the Golden Jubilee in Glasgow, Edinburgh or Carlisle.
“Trying to make sure people who otherwise wouldn’t get to appointments is great, it makes you feel its worth getting up.
“People don’t have to worry about parking, someone else is doing that so they can go to the appointment and come out. They don’t have to worry about where they left the car, driving in a city or driving in a city they’re not used to.
“There’s patients who can’t drive at all, they’re not going to get an ambulance, not everyone has friends or relatives who can run them
about.”
And helping out also has benefits for volunteers as Jenny added: “People getting out and doing something and having something different to talk about is probably quite a good thing.”
For more information about Galloway Community Transport – either to use their services or to volunteer – visit www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org
And for further details about Volunteers’ Week, see www.volunteersweek.org
