Hi Sue, thanks for chatting with me today. Firstly, what brought you to volunteering and how long have you been doing it?

Hi Wayne, lovely to speak with you too. I’ve been volunteering probably for about a year now. I decided to volunteer as I needed some personal space because I have so many family commitments. I have an elderly mother, an autistic daughter, and two grandsons whom I adopted, so there’s a lot of care work that goes on with me. But I know that it’s not forever; it’s just at the moment, then things will change again.

What volunteering roles do you undertake with BBOWT?

I’ve come to volunteer at Littlemore [one of BBOWT's offices] with my son, George, who is staying in the Mental Health Centre across the road. George has lost ten years of his life through poor mental health, so volunteering for BBOWT gives George some self-esteem and it really does help him very much. And as it helps my son, it helps me, because I see him happy doing something makes me happy.

You also volunteer for other groups within BBOWT don’t you?

Yes, I’m orchard leader at the Nature Discovery Centre, which is great and I love it there – it’s a really lovely place, and I’ve met lots of positive people. I was also volunteering in the Wednesday work party run by Steve Plaisted-Kerr, but I’ve had to resign from the group as I don’t have the time. We’ve had some great times and I learned a lot from working with those people. Steve said to me that I could return there if ever I have the time.

What does nature mean to you?

Being out in nature is the true life we should be recognising. We’ve got this concrete life; the people life, all about money. But we’ve also got this other life, all about the environment. I love our planet very dearly, and I do get very upset when people disregard and try to kill it. So, if I can help to counteract that, I will.

Apart from volunteering, do you have another job?

I’m now a full-time carer for my family, but for ten years I was a delivery driver for Sainsbury’s. I was out and about all the time and got to chat to people, which suited my personality.

Where did you grow up and what’s your favourite memory of that time?

I grew up half in Reading and half in Cornwall, so I lived in Cornwall for a long time. I remember walking on the moors. We used to go to the beach and surf a lot, rock-pooling and walking on the sands – that sort of thing. I live in West Berkshire now and I moved to Reading to help mum when my dad died, and that’s when my life changed.

Is there any one person or group of people that you admire?

At the moment I admire Extinct Rebellion, who are people who are trying to make a point about what’s going on with our planet. They are saying things that lots of people haven’t got the guts to say, because we’re all worried about what is happening, but they will stand up and say it.

If you had a magic wand and could bring an animal or species back, what would it be?

Probably a bird, because they are amazing. I heard about an osprey that hitched a ride on a boat to Spain, then jumped on another boat and came back again. The way that birds operate is quite amazing.

What do you do when you’re not volunteering or caring for someone?

I have an allotment which I share with a friend and we grow vegetables. I also cycle and walk with another friend. I also like to read one-two hours per day. I'm reading Salman Rushdie’s Shalimar the Clown, as well as ploughing through Winston Graham's 12 Poldark novels. I also like reading Sandi Toksvig’s novels.

How would you like to be remembered?

As I carer, I suppose. Because I care about people and nature.

So, if you’re epitaph was ‘She cared’, would that about cover it?

Yeah, that would suit me just fine!

With grateful thanks to Sue and George, and to all our wonderful volunteers.

More than 1,700 volunteers help us towards our vision of more nature everywhere, on our nature reserves, at our visitor and education centres, in our offices and more.

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