Ivybridge Volunteer

	Name:	Anne Bedson
	Status:	Retired
	Centre:	EST Ivybridge

When do you help?

As and when at the moment. I will aim to help once a week at least when the centre is fully up and running.

What do you do to help?

Leading the donkeys, supporting the children, grooming the donkeys, helping the wheelchair-bound children in and out of the carts. Plus anything else I can do to help.

Do you enjoy this voluntary work?

I love every minute of it! I have never had a day when I wished I hadn't gone and it puts life into perspective. There is always something to learn and it's easy to mix with other volunteers as we all choose to be here.

Does one particular incident stick in your mind as being special?

What's special to me is when you have worked really hard for weeks and weeks to persuade a child to ride a donkey and eventually they do and they love to ride them.

Also quite recently I met a mum who was quite nervous about allowing her child to ride the donkeys, but when she saw the achievements her child was making you could see the emotion in her - it made it all worthwhile. Granny and Grandad where also present and were taking some lovely photographs. It was a super day for everybody.

A little autistic girl was visiting the centre recently and she recognised me as the "donkey lady" who had visited her school - that was really special too.

If you have a bit of spare time then pop along to the centre. I am sure you would be made to feel most welcome.

How did you hear about the Centre?

I saw an advert in the local paper about four years ago asking for volunteers to help with mobile donkey visits to schools in the local area. I would meet the EST team at the schools and give them a hand. I was absolutely over the moon when I found out there was going to be an actual centre built in Ivybridge. It's been a long time coming and I can't wait to see all the children and families benefit from this wonderful facility.

If you can spare a day, or even half a day, and would like to become a volunteer at Ivybridge, please contact our Principal, Bob Venn. Telephone: 01752 690200.