A Letter to Our Volunteers from Toni-Marie
My name is Toni-Marie. I will tell you just a little bit about my disability as I feel it is relevant. I have cerebral palsy quadriplegia and scoliosis of the spine. This means I am a full-time electric wheelchair user.
Dear Volunteers
Revitalise needs your precious time, effort and energy to help people with disability to have the best kind of holiday. With your help, holiday guests can shop, sightsee, discover new places, swim and build long-lasting friendships!
About Revitalise
Revitalise is an excellent holiday place for disabled people and their carers. It is built on a rock-solid foundation of acceptance. It creates freedom, choice and independence for us who need your help the most in our lives.
If you are volunteering for the first time
I am aware that volunteering for the first time can be daunting – it can be a little overwhelming to be at a place or in a situation you haven’t experienced before. Please know that a little bravery can go a long way. Once you get to know people beyond their disability, I can promise you that you will learn so much!
The team at Revitalise holiday centres is supportive; they will always be there to guide and help you through your volunteering adventures.
Volunteers add magic to our holidays
Let me let you in a little secret – to meet new volunteers is equally daunting for us guests, too. This is because many of us don’t often get the opportunity to socialise outside of our home environment. When we come to a Revitalise holiday centre, we see new faces, interact with unfamiliar people and make choices that we don’t otherwise in our daily lives. The very nature of our disability means that we lead very structured lives. People with disability don’t often get to choose; we never say, “I’ll have that one!” Therefore, as a volunteer, you play a crucial role in enabling us to live out our holiday wishes, hopes and maybe some dreams, too.
You being here to support us, provides a peace of mind to our family members, too. To know that there are volunteers who are willing to put themselves forward to support their loved ones in their absence is very comforting for our family members.
A huge thank you
This is the perfect opportunity to say a huge heartfelt thank you to all our volunteers (past, present and future) for taking the plunge and joining Revitalise in their efforts to truly make a difference.
Volunteers play a crucial part in Revitalise holiday centres and your help is always appreciated. If you have time to spare, do apply for volunteering. When you come here, don’t forget to pack your energy, enthusiasm, time, patience and a smile!
You can book a volunteering place at Revitalise here: Book your volunteer place
Words can never truly describe what your volunteering would mean to myself and the other guests.
As ever, always see your ability in disability!
Toni-Marie x
The views expressed are the author’s own.