Volunteer Awards

Posted by on 25 Jun, 2012

Front row left to right – Therese Mc Grath, Margaret Lovelock (holding award) Annie Van Der Dussen, Topsy Bannerman.
Back row left to right – Yvonne Gray-Rix, Elaine Alexander, Nancy Wilson, Graham Wilson.

Arthritis New Zealand currently runs 6 weekly hydrotherapy classes – one at Christchurch hospital and the others at the Burwood physiotherapy pool.

Each of these classes requires a number of volunteers to run affectively. Class members need to be rung, information gathered, safety maintained and exercises led. The volunteers involved are prepared to commit a number of hours each week to keep these classes running, as well as attending first aid training, exercise training and emergency evacuation training.

Over the past 18 months all of these classes have been affected by earthquakes, pool closures, and all the other difficulties that have become part of living in Christchurch.

Yvonne Gray-Rix (left) & Elaine Alexander (right)

Many of our volunteers have had major personal issues caused by the earthquakes but have continued to be available to run these classes when pools were available. As things have improved they have tracked people down and the classes are again running regularly and smoothly.

Many of our hydro volunteers have worked with us for a long time and others are newer but Arthritis New Zealand greatly appreciates each and every one of them and readily acknowledges that without the valuable input of these people our hydro classes could not exist.