Volunteers’ help crucial
Special breed of people give time to others
Martha Field is manager of the Pahiatua Information Centre, leading a team of 10 volunteers. “All my volunteers are connected to other organisations in the community as well — some volunteer for the Health Shuttle, Community Car, Toy Library, Regent Cinema, Menz Shed, Rebus and many more.
“My team has a lot of information about organisations in the community, because they are on them. That helps with the information made available through networking.
“If we didn't have volunteers, we wouldn't have a lot of services that we get. The volunteers come in with parents at school and they help. At the college, all the sports are run mainly by volunteers.
We're lucky with our cinema, the Information Centre and Bush Multi-Sports Trust. That's all possible thanks to volunteers.
“Then you've got soup nights at Bush Community Church, that's all volunteers,
bringing in soups and giving their time — we're a lucky town.
“I think volunteers are a very special breed of people and every community needs them. We have a nice community because we have a
community that volunteers.
“Even when people retire, they still want to live here, because they put their time into the community. We now have a generation that is very busy, they are time poor,” she said.