WRVS now recruits men into their ranks

Having evolved into the largest volunteering organisation in British history, its 75th year will see its most modern move yet.

The ever-changing charity is set to drop "Women's" from its title, as a nod to the wealth of men who have joined the ranks.

"You've got to change with the times," said April Schwer, RVS locality manager for Shropshire.

"We do have a lot of male volunteers across the county but we could always do with more."

Nearly 250 people give up their time to help 750 people per week in Shropshire.

Nationally, the RVS has about 40,000 volunteers but only about a fifth are men, something the name change could address.

"At the beginning, it was all about the war and evacuees and growing food," said Mrs Schwer.

"But it's morphed into so many things now but we mainly support older people."

There are 12 groups across the county from the Llanfechain Community Club and Copthorne Companions Club, to Bishop's Castle Friends in Retirement and Shropshire Good Neighbours.

As well as these vital social hubs, hundreds of isolated older people are visited by a friendly face in their own homes every day.

One man who has taken on a variety of "jobs for the boys" is Terry Seston, 78, of Bayston Hill.

He joined the WRVS 15 years ago with his wife Barbara, who had been on the books for 27 years.

"The women do a fantastic job," said the retired human resource manager for Express and Star Newsagents.

"Babs is a remarkable people person in the way that she can talk to anyone and cheer them up.

"But there are obviously jobs that men are more suited to like gardening, driving and lifting.

"I am one of these people who feels if a lot of people do just a little but it would be a great help."

He added: "We haven't got a war environment now so the function of the service has changed.

"Having said that, the WRVS has an emergency service aspect, so if the whole of Shrewsbury got flooded there's a team that can be called upon to go and assist the police and fire service."

Wife of 57 years, Barbara, who worked at the post office in Bayston Hill before retiring said: "It's always been known as the WRVS but dropping the W won't matter to me.

"It was called that because the men had gone off to war and the ladies were doing their bit we've got quite a lot of men volunteers now.

"If we kept the W, I don't think the men would mind, but it shows how the times have changed."

The couple delivered Meals on Wheels before funding dried up and now offer a befriending service, taking elderly people to hospital appointments, lunch clubs and out and about in the community.

"These are the people who would be on their own unable to get out if volunteers weren't there," said Mr Seston, of Lansdown Crescent."Sometimes we get very close to them. We've experienced, over the last few years, being the first people to go into somebody's home and find them collapsed on the floor. Sadly on both occasions these people passed away a short time afterwards.

"But by being the first people there, we can call the emergency services and inform the WRVS who can contact social services.

"The satisfaction we get out of helping somebody who is not as fortunate as yourself is why we do it."

Mrs Schwer said the 75th anniversary was an exciting milestone.

"It's the volunteers that make it," she said. "Without them it doesn't happen."

"Now we've got men on board we would like to get younger people involved."

The WRVS is keeping the name change under wraps until its anniversary celebration on May 20, when it is expected to make the announcement.

For more information or to volunteer call April Schwer on (01743) 240271.

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