Volunteering in your 80s is no mean feat
Lending a helping hand to tourists on the streets of Wellington means you get asked all sorts of questions.
Members of the Wellington Cruise Ambassador (WCA) team can be asked anything from ‘‘where’s Cuba St?’’ to ‘‘where’s the nearest brothel?’’
‘‘I say you have to go up to Cuba St or Vivian St for that one,’’ said volunteer John Heaven, 87.
Heaven is one of the original WCA team members, signing up to the Wreda-run programme after the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Since then, you can usually find the retired builder stationed at the bottom or top of the cable car, helping tourists and cruise ship visitors find their way around the city.
‘‘The main question I get is ‘where’s the cable car, how long does it take and how many people does it carry?’
‘‘I meet a lot of interesting people. Sometimes at the top of the cable car, I sit with them and talk,’’ Heaven said.
Knowing a little bit of German and Thai also came in handy, he said.
His go-to suggestion for visitors was a walk along the waterfront – weather dependent of course – combined with a visit to the Wellington Museum.
He volunteers mostly during the cruise ship season over summer and works three or four-hour shifts, wearing his WCA gear.
Wreda marketing and destination development manager David Perks said Heaven had been given the nickname ‘‘Mr Available’’ for all the shifts he’d volunteered for over the years.
‘‘He’s inspirational to many people involved in the WCA programme and something of a mentor to the younger volunteers.’’
The last cruise ship season in 2017 and 2018 saw nearly 238,000 passengers dock in Wellington. The upcoming 2018 to 2019 season could be even bigger, with 111 cruise ships booked already, Perks said. To keep up with demand, 50 more WCA volunteers would likely be needed to supplement the approximately 100 existing volunteers.
Now was the perfect time to call out for volunteers.
From June 17-23, the 1.2 million Kiwis who volunteer in different roles are celebrated with National Volunteer Week.