Volunteers’ Week 2024

Pamela works at our OPFS Dundee services, and in her spare time she keeps herself busy with lots of volunteering. Pamela first became a volunteer when she was only 4 or 5 years old, providing entertainment for the elderly. She would sing and tap dance around nursing homes, with her mum and sister.

Recently Pamela became a volunteer for St Andrew’s First Aid. Pamela recently used her first aid skills to support her mum. It was thanks to years of being a first aider and keeping the qualification up to date that she knew how to help her mum in an emergency. To become a first aider with St Andrew’s, Pamela completed 4 days training, over two weekends and they paid for her PVG. The first event she attended with them was a Coldplay tribute concert, but her dream concert would be to see Queen.

Pamela would encourage anyone to become a first aider, as it’s a vital skill, she said;

“Imagine feeling helpless because you don’t have the skills and confidence to save someone you love”.

Pamela has also been volunteering for the RNLI for 2 and half years. Her home overlooks the longest river in Scotland, the River Tay which is also the most dangerous river with the busiest lifeboat service in Scotland. Pamela had witnessed first hand the RNLI rescue boats going out to rescue people in all weather conditions, especially when suicide attempts increased during Covid. When she saw an advert on Facebook looking for volunteers, she wanted to do something to help this amazing service. With fuel prices increasing which impacts on running costs of the boats it’s becoming more and more expensive to keep vital services like this running. They also rescue dogs and dolphins! Pamela volunteered as a fundraiser for Broughty Ferry RNLI which involves organising events such as emergency services days, pub quizzes, afternoon tea parties and open days at the lifeboat station. Recently Dundee was visited by the Royal Research Ship Discovery and all the volunteers got the opportunity to have a guided tour by the ship’s crew and talks from the scientists who work on board about the importance of the research work they do.

Pamela also looks after sick hedgehogs at a hedgehog rescue centre which involves giving them food, subcutaneous fluids and medicine, putting ointment on their eyes, giving them baths and cleaning out their cages. You get spiked and sometimes they bite. You have to handle the hedgehogs as little as possible and remain really quiet. They are wild animals, and it’s traumatic for them.

If you have a pond in your garden, you can help hedgehogs get out safely after they have been for a swim by having a wee ramp or ladder for them. If you come across an injured hedgehog don’t try to treat them yourself as they are complex creatures and carry parasites. Contact your local rescue centre instead, or Pamela!