Epsom charity pays tribute to long-serving volunteer (From Your Local Guardian)

Epsom charity pays tribute to long-serving volunteer

2:50pm Sunday 30th May 2010 in

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A charity has paid tribute to a long-serving volunteer who took a partially sighted man with learning disabilities on a 155-mile cycle from coast to coast.

Epsom-based SeeAbility, formerly the Royal School for the Blind, thanked Andrew Wells, for over 10 years of hard work, and highlighted the importance of voluntary work at National Volunteer Week.

Tim Partridge, SeeAbility National Volunteer Manager, said: “Andrew is one of our longstanding volunteers who recognises the value of volunteering to the people he supports.

"Equally, when people volunteer, they invariably get back much more than they put in.

"We are hopeful that National Volunteer Week will encourage more people to consider volunteering with us.

"Just an hour or two a week spent with someone with disabilities can make a tangible difference to their quality of life."

Mr Wells, a keen cyclist, regularly goes out tandem cycling with Ivan Storey, who is partially sighted and has learning disability but leads a full and active life.

In April, Mr Wells took Ivan on a 155-mile “coast to coast” tandem cycling holiday.

He said: “It was an amazing experience. We started with our back wheel in the Irish Sea at Whitehaven and our route took us across the Lake District and over the snow-topped Pennines.

"It was a pretty arduous three day journey with lots of steep hills and mountainsides.

“Finally we ended up with our front wheel in the North Sea at Sunderland and considering that Ivan is now 70, we think we did pretty well!

"For me, the trip was fantastic and something that I’ll not forget for a very long time. I have made friends for life.”

Their trip was organised by a company called Vitalise, who specialise in tailor-made holidays for people with a visual impairment.

National Volunteer Week, June 1 to 7, is recognising the valuable role of volunteers in social care.

Mr Wells, from Bookham, has been volunteering with SeeAbility for over 10 years.

Epsom-base SeeAbility provides specialised care and support for people with a visual impairment and additional disabilities to encourage independence.

For more information about volunteering in Epsom or Leatherhead, call Peter Delafond on 01372 389432.