 Colleen
Wellsmore (at left) is a tall
lady with wispy, blonde hair and a sparkle in
her eyes. She is a volunteer with Arthritis NSW.
A member since 1989, Colleen was a member of
the Taree and then Parramatta Branches but she
is no longer actively involved at Branch level.
She is still actively involved in volunteering.
On any Wednesday you can find Colleen in the
office at Parramatta sitting at the long working
table surrounded by piles of paper, forms, brochures
and envelopes. She feels she is performing a
very valuable service for the Foundation. “I
volunteer not just to fill in my time but for
the social interaction and I feel it’s
a good thing to do. I’d rather do this
than spend time sitting around watching TV all
day. This gets me out, keeps me moving and gives
me an interest.”
Colleen claims
to have learnt many things about managing her
own Arthritis by seeing how other
volunteers manage and how they handle the condition
and by receiving all the latest medical information
in the Arthritis News. She likes the social interaction
of being with other volunteers and the office
staff and finds volunteering very rewarding.
She also
volunteers one day a week at the North Ryde Community
Centre. Volunteering makes her feel young,
healthier and very useful.
Mabs Powderley is a relative newcomer to Arthritis
NSW. She lives in Wagga Wagga and has been there
all her life. Small and vivacious, Mabs is always
on the move. She joined the Wagga Wagga Branch
in 2000 to use the hydrotherapy pool after seeing
a tiny article in the local paper. She found
hydrotherapy very beneficial and regards the
time spent in the pool as equal to a massage,
but much cheaper. She still goes twice a week.
In 2001 she became a supervisor for hydro classes
after agreeing to take over on a casual basis
one holiday period. “I’m still there
6 years later.”
 In August 2003 the secretary of the hydro groups
asked her to take over and seeing as Mabs had
her own computer she agreed. “I found it
reasonably easy to keep the records on the computer
and I’m still doing this job now as well.
"I didn’t
attend many Branch meetings but attendance was
falling so I was asked to come
along and I started attending quite regularly.
In 2004 I was at the AGM for the branch and no
one would put up their hand to stand on the executive.
I thought I’d give it a go and promptly
became Chairwoman. The new secretary, who was
elected with me resigned after two weeks, informing
me that she would leave everything on her verandah
for me to collect and I was left doing everything.
I got a new secretary but was all set to resign
after the first year. I got talked into standing
again and I’m now into my third term. I
have a great executive now and everything is
going really well. I’m very committed to
the continuing success of the branch.
I like to be busy and I find that when I have
a flare up and I go to hydro classes I get comfort
from other members who I know are going through
the same as me but are just getting on with life.
It helps me to put things in perspective. I’ve
made some good acquaintances and some lovely
friends. All in all it’s been very worthwhile
and I would encourage everyone with arthritis
to join a branch and contribute as much as they
can because you get lots in return."
Philip Hopkin, CEO of Arthritis NSW, says we
value the contribution all of our volunteers
give to
Arthritis
NSW.
“The success of a volunteer program depends
on an invisible but tangible spirit of cooperation
and value in human beings working together.” (McHenry
1988)
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