 Seventeen years ago, when Ken Ross of North London, was sixty,
his doctors told him that he should spend the rest of his life sitting in an armchair.
Ill-health had forced him to close his engineering business and the future didn’t
look too good.His doctors should see him now! At seventy seven, Ken is working four
hours a day, five days a week for Community Service Volunteers. He does publicity, report
writing. He attends meetings and does admin – skills he learned as part of running
his own business.
Ken got the work by contacting REACH, the charity that offers a free UK-wide
job-finding service to volunteers with management and professional skills with voluntary
organisations needing their help. The jobs are normally part-time, local and pay only
expenses.
REACH recruits people who have time to offer, whether they are retired, still working,
between jobs or taking a career break. A team of "matchers" ensures that the
jobs on offer are suited to the talents and experience of the volunteers. The match
doesn’t have to be a follow-on of professional skills. Ken, for instance, is not
working as an engineer, but is using his managerial experience.
Over 10000 placements have been made since REACH was launched twenty years ago. The
job-matching covers a wide range of services and professions - training, counselling,
welfare, children, disability, health, the arts, emergency services and others. The
volunteers' backgrounds include such areas as accountancy, financial services, marketing,
PR, engineering, law, medicine, teaching, journalism, sales, social work and even airline
pilots.
"It is a simple fact that most over fifties have abundant energy and enthusiasm
which, combined with their qualifications, skills and life experience, makes them a huge
asset to any voluntary organisation," says Sue Evans, Director of REACH. "We
estimate that the 800 placements which we made last year is equivalent to injecting at
least £9,000,000 of expertise per annum into the voluntary sector.
"Volunteers can choose the work pattern which suits their lifestyle, keep their
career skills alive and enjoy being part of a working team doing something worthwhile. In
voluntary work people are interested in what you can do - not how old you are."
Ken says,"I feel on top of the world. My life is extremely interesting because no two
days are the same. I am grateful to REACH because they sent me to the one place that was
just right for me."
REACH currently has around 2000 job vacancies on its register so there is a very good
chance that applicants will find a position which will makes full use of their individual
skills. There are no age limits.
The average age of REACH volunteers is 57.
For further information please call REACH on 020 7582 6543: e-mail volwork@btinternet.com: website www.volwork.org.uk
Look out for future features from Olive Braman on Jobs From The REACH Files
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