Practical support | Meet volunteer driver, Mike
Meet Mike, who has been providing support for our families as a volunteer driver for the past three years. Learn how he became a volunteer and why he chose to give up his time to support Demelza.
Mike had spent many years working for a lorry transport firm in Sittingbourne which sadly finished trading when he was close to retirement. A year on, after working for Mercedes, he decided it was time to retire. Mike knew he wanted to do something meaningful with his time and thought he could use his years of experience in a way that could help others. Volunteer driving provided the perfect opportunity to utilise his skills and now at 77 years old, he is a valued member of our practical support volunteering team.
Mike had originally been a volunteer driver for Age UK, where he spent nine years transporting residents to and from the day centre. Unfortunately, after COVID-19, the day centre closed, so Mike decided to look out for another place where he could offer his time. He came across an advertisement for volunteer driving for Demelza on LinkedIn and after seeing he only lived a mile away from the Kent site, Mike knew this would be the perfect opportunity for him to get signed up!
“It is necessary because so many people need transport, where they haven’t got it or do not like to drive into London. It is something I like doing, I will just keep doing it until I cannot anymore,” he said.
Mike has now been a Demelza volunteer driver for over three years and he enjoys providing support to families who need to get to places. This can include hospital appointments, prescription runs or visits to the Demelza sites - Mike helps to make all this possible.
Travel can come with many worries for our families, with the stresses of navigating public transport, fuel costs and even just getting to appointments on time. Our drivers help to ease some of this burden, allowing them to fully focus on their child. Mike said: “I enjoy helping and getting involved. I get to meet lots of different people and some of the families do send a message to the practical support team saying thank you, they are very appreciative. I like to keep busy and help people, so this fits the bill!”
Our volunteer drivers are an essential part of our practical support team and they allow us to go the extra mile for our families in need.
"I enjoy helping and getting involved. I get to meet lots of different people."
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