Good Neighbours needs new coordinators - can you help?

Steyning and District Good Neighbours Association relies on volunteer coordinators to organise our work and due to a sudden rush to return to paid work by two of our coordinators we are down to four – we really need six, so can you help?

As you probably know, Good Neighbours exists to provide transport for Steyning residents to medical appointments. We take people without their own cars or those who cannot take public transport to hospital and other medical appointments. We look after them as a relative or neighbour would do, going into the hospital with them if necessary and waiting to bring them home.

The alternative would be a taxi service which is prohibitively expensive and doesn’t provide the essential helping hand. We also provide shopping help for people who are housebound or disabled and have no one to do this for them.

Being a coordinator is very rewarding because our clients are very grateful. We have about 80 volunteer drivers willing to help and the coordinator’s role is to fit the job to the volunteer.

We transfer the Good Neighbours telephone line to each coordinator for a week at a time, so if we have 6 coordinators each is on duty for one week in six.

We agree the rota between ourselves every few months to suit our individual movements and frequently adjust it or fill in for each other for the odd day if plans change.

Coordinators work at home, fitting the work into their normal lives and using their own phones (we pay telephone expenses). How much the phone rings varies a huge amount – sometimes 3 times a day, sometimes 10 – it depends on the week and the day. We don’t stay in all day – but we do listen to messages every few hours.

Good Neighbours does not do emergency work – we ask for two clear days’ notice. We don’t normally work in the evenings or weekends – clients are asked to ring only between 9 and 5.30 on weekdays unless the call is urgent (a cancellation, for example).

We are an essential lifeline, and the work is very rewarding. So if you can help, or if you know someone else who could, please ring me on 01903 813422 or email me on sarah.c.leigh@btopenworld.com.

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