Published: Monday, 2nd June, 2008 4:30pm

You can help...now

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TWENTY Inverclyde folk are being urgently sought to grant wishes to terminally-ill kids, befriend youngsters with disabilities, deliver meals to the elderly and drive patients to hospital appointments.

If YOU have two free hours a week that you would like to put to good use, then please read on.

This is Volunteers" Week and there has never been a better time to help others in the community.

At the moment, 500 people in Inverclyde are registered as volunteers with Volunteer Centre Inverclyde but more people are always needed to meet requests for help from charities such as Barnardos, Quarriers and Inverclyde Enable.

Carol Hughes, volunteer co-ordinator at the volunteer centre, said the assistance of volunteers was vital to some of the organisations which would struggle to function without them. She said: 'Without some of the drivers and group assistant workers these services wouldn"t continue.

'Volunteers enable people to be part of their own community.

'Volunteer drivers can help people go to the bingo, or church, and to be a part of their community and have a better quality of life.'

Volunteers need give up only two hours of their time a week, although some volunteers choose to do more.

Anyone over the age of 16 can help, regardless of their own circumstances.

Carol said: 'People always think it is only the unemployed, retired and wealthy who volunteer. That is not true.'

Anyone who wants to become a volunteer can call Carol on 787414.

She will arrange to meet you for a one-to-one chat to find out what your interests are and the best opportunities that are available for you.

Examples of some of the volunteer opportunities currently available are listed in the wanted column, below.

WANTED: An activity group assistant to help at Barnardos. Volunteer will provide support for children aged six to 11 with disabilities (either physical or learning) at the afterschool club and help with the co-ordination of activities.

INVERCLYDE ENABLE: Could you provide support for adults with learning disabilities and assist in setting up of equipment?

QUARRIERS: An activity group assistant is needed to support hospital patients who have epilepsy. Volunteers are being sought to visit the project at a regular agreed time for a pre-agreed duration.

FRIENDLY AND OUTGOING? Barnardos is seeking befrienders to help with children and young people up to the age of 19 with learning or physical disabilities.

RETAIL ASSISTANTS: Are needed to help at charity shops run by various organisations in Inverclyde including Cancer Research, Barnardos, Capability Scotland, PDSA, British Heart Foundation and Ardgowan Hospice.

WRVS OPPORTUNITY (retail assistant): Volunteer required for general shop duties, shelf filling, pricing goods, serving customers and to make hospital visits.

DRIVERS AND HELPERS: Needed by WRVS to deliver meals to housebound service users in Inverclyde

DRIVERS AND ESCORTS: Could you help Inverclyde Voluntary Transport, League Of Friends, Port Glasgow Voluntary Transport or Inverclyde Enable? All of these charities need drivers to take people to and from hospital and day centres.

MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION: A Wish Granter is needed to see most wishes through from start to finish, whether that wish is to be a princess for the day, or to own a garden playhouse. The first stage is a wish visit, which involves finding out what the terminally-ill child"s wish is and getting mum and dad to sign some paperwork. Once, it goes to the approval meeting and a budget has been set, volunteers would then, with the help of the regional office, find a time that suits the family and go ahead and put the wish together. This could involve buying the equipment (ie a laptop), setting it up, organising a limo and a restaurant for lunch. The wish fulfilment may involve a team of volunteers going to the child"s house and setting it all up so that it is a surprise for them, on their return home.

ENTERTAINER: Clune Park Resource Centre, Port Glasgow, wants someone to provide entertainment for centre users, organise bingo, karaoke or other activities for the community.

KITCHEN ASSISTANT: Required at Clune Park Resource Centre, Port Glasgow. Volunteer to prepare lunches for centre users and assist within kitchen with various kitchen duties.

BREAKFAST CLUB HELPER (Active Schools): To assist at breakfast clubs in schools, and activities within the breakfast clubs for children in primary school.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ASSISTANT (Active Schools): Volunteers will assist professionals in the delivery of physical activity and sport. Opportunities occur during school hours, at after-school clubs, and on weekend and holiday programmes.

•IF you are interested in any of the above volunteer opportunities, please contact Volunteer Centre Inverclyde in Dalrymple Street, Greenock, for further details.

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