Brian Hudson’s Thursdays start when, at 9:30, he picks up a gentleman who lives is St Albans and gives him a lift to his mother who lives near the Galleria, in Hatfield. He then makes his way to the Communities 1st office, Ver House, in Park Street, probably arriving around 10:20. Brian spends his day working as a volunteer on the Community Car Service. He takes calls from members of the public, and existing users, who are in need of help with transport – they may need a lift to hospital, to their GP, to an eye appointment, to go shopping, or perhaps to visit their family. Brian will then try to find a volunteer who can provide the lift. Once he has found a volunteer, and it may take several calls, he will phone “the client” back to give the details of what he has arranged. Brian makes a careful record of what he has arranged. At 3 o’clock, Brian leaves Ver House to pick up his granddaughter from school in St Albans and take her home to Leverstock Green.
It's a busy day for Brian. “In the course of those few hours,” he explained, “I may handle a couple of dozen calls. It keeps me on my toes, and I feel it is time well spent.” He added with a smile, “It helps gets me out of the house!”
If you’re well organised, it’s all straightforward
Brian, in his seventies, came across to me as a modest man who is keen to help. He strikes me as someone who has a good sense of humour and is confident in what he is doing. He doesn’t think what he is doing is “any big deal.” He explained that “it’s all straightforward. You work through the calls and record what you’re doing.” I suggested that what he is doing sounds more complex – “you may complete a call, and then another call comes in… and another,” I countered, “And before you know where you are you are juggling several balls in the air, trying to find drivers for several jobs.” Brian stood his ground, responding, “If you’re well organised it is not difficult”
Before he retired, some twelve years ago, Brian was, for forty years, a pensions administration manager for various companies, managing their pensions departments. He feels that his administrative experience in that job has equipped him for the voluntary work that he is now doing.
Sometimes when people become a volunteer, they want to do something different from what they did in their working life. Other people are pleased to continue using their skills and experience. Both approaches make sense, I commented. Brian laughed and explained that a few years ago he wanted to volunteer for the Rennie Grove Hospice. “I went along for an interview. During the discussion, they asked me if I knew anything about pensions! I told them about my 40 years’ experience working on pensions and the next day I started as a volunteer, helping out with their pensions department, as well as other clerical duties. I did this for several years until COVID and I then suggested their best way forward would be to manage pensions with the pay roll bureau.”
New to Communities 1st … but not new to the role
While Brian has been volunteering on community transport for several years, he is new to Communities 1st. This is because he joined Welwyn and Hatfield CVS in this role some three years ago and in the last few months WHCVS has merged with Communities 1st. Brian has continued doing what he did for WHCVS but now he is doing so as Communities 1st. How is it going, I asked. “The staff at Communities 1st are very friendly, supportive, and welcoming, he reported. “But after only a few weeks, it still feels early days.” He added, with a laugh, “And it’s good that there are excellent car parking facilities at Ver House.”
Change in any organisation can be worrying for everyone involved, including volunteers, and Communities 1st is committed to supporting volunteers in any ways possible. “I am happy to give it a go and work through any teething problems. I’m getting used to a wider catchment area and if I don’t know something, I will always ask.”
Fitting Communities 1st into his busy life
We are grateful to Brian for his flexibility and fitting Communities 1st into his busy life. Married for 49 years, and with a wife, Anne, two daughters, and four grandchildren, Brian is a family man. He helps with school runs and supporting his grandchildren. He plays golf twice a week and enjoys golf with his eldest grandson. He is also a keen table tennis player, competing in the league. Anne is very happy for him to volunteer. She knows that he enjoys volunteering and she, herself volunteers in the shop at St Albans Abbey. She also acts as a steward for events at the cathedral.
A sense of satisfaction at the end of the day
“I always enjoyed working and now I enjoy volunteering,” Brian explained to me. “Volunteering,” he added, “is important because it helps the community and supports people in need. It is good to do something for someone else.” He firmly believes that the Community Car Service helps people with no transport have a better life. “We’re getting people to places they can’t otherwise reach. It improves the quality of their lives. They are very appreciative and that makes me feel good.” Brian concluded, “You can tell they feel happy, and you feel pleased with what you have achieved.”
Volunteers working in admin – a vital support to voluntary groups
I finished my chat with Brian realising that volunteers acting in an administrative role provide a vital support to voluntary and community groups. Too often we think of volunteers delivering direct services – driving, befriending, shopping, etc – but the admin part is very necessary and helps keep the services running smoothly. Communities 1st is lucky to have Brian.