Getting Ready for National Volunteer Week…

Published 16 June 2023

Getting ready for National Volunteer Week… 

By Amanda Ashby, Curtain Bank Manager, Sustainability Trust

Amanda holds a few of her handmade gifts for her valuable volunteers to celebrate their important contribution to the Wellington Curtain Bank

In the last three and a half years since I’ve been the Curtain Bank Coordinator, our team of volunteers have given more than 10, 000 hours of their time to help assess, measure and sew the donated curtains we receive.

So, if Malcolm Gladwell is right, that now makes me an expert, which I think I am. At least when it comes to getting the tea and coffee orders right (shhhh, Helen, I’ve almost nailed it).

Of course, some things are a work in progress. Lesley, I swear I only called you Lynda once. And Stella, looking at your text message and thinking you were Sue, is something that happens to lots of people. Note to self…do consider taking up Jane and Jane’s suggestion to only get volunteers with the same name.  

In all seriousness, the Curtain Bank could not run without the support, mahi and encouragement of the twenty-five to thirty volunteers who come into the workroom every week. What I love best about them is that they know how busy we get in winter and only ever plan overseas jaunts over summer. Garrick and Ayliffe, I’m going to say that again in case the European crowds are making it hard for you both to hear me! And Pat, I hope you’re taking notice of my thoughts on this matter. 

But honestly, it’s been a dream to roster them, and they never need to change days. Well, except for when it clashes with Zumba. Sorry Kathy! 

Since I started in 2020, we have provided 7500 pairs of curtains and 800 tracks to 1900 whanau in the Greater Wellington area and in that time, I have only ever asked Celia to sew lining into three pairs of pink curtains (trust me, I’ve learnt my lesson). There have only been five times that I’ve forgotten to make an afternoon cup of tea for the Monday crew (Paula…are you sure it’s meant to be two o’clock?)  and I’ve only once stolen a volunteer from another place. But, if you’ve ever met Jackie, you will understand why I did it! 

The real question is, how can I adequately show my appreciation for this wonderful crew of people. I did consider hugs, but most of them can outrun me, especially Lynne. It must be from all that climbing up on her compost bin that she does. I could bake them something, but the problem is I do want them to come back next week. There are seedlings. I could grow them all something green and put it in a cute upcycled container, but Lucy, Ngaio and Els seem to know their way around a garden and might start asking me uncomfortable questions, like ‘what kind of plant is this?’ 

I could make it like a scavenger hunt and let them discover some fun and interesting things, but that already happens in the Curtain Bank. Just ask Peter, who comes in to help make up our donated curtain track but instead spent three days fixing our beloved trolley. Or Mary, who found herself on the Trust green team before she’d finished picking the scraps of paper out of the landfill bin. And Cath, who thought she was a sewer but ended up stumbling across our Trademe corner and was dragged away from the machine before she could finish saying ‘is that William Morris?’ 

Oh, actually, I could give them all a piece of lovely fabric, if I can sneak it past Maggie—actually, scratch that thought. No one can sneak anything past her! Plus, Veronica did find out the hard way what sometimes happens to our vintage fabric when they get washed. 

I have to just face it. Nothing can adequately express just how lucky we are to have such a great team and that without them, Juliet and I would end up buried beneath a three-ton pile of donated curtains.  

So, thank you to the Curtain Bank team. And actually, now I think about it, the hug idea was great, so brace yourselves!