Southern View: May 31, 2016

6
Tuesday May 31 2016
Our People
SOUTHERN VIEW
Ruth Gardner
Retired but still involved in community
Ruth Gardner worked
as Volunteering
Canterbury’s
manager for more
than 20 years
until she retired
last month. Fraser
Walker-Pearce
talks to her about
voluntary work after
the earthquakes,
running the show
at wedding
ceremonies, and
living with the
town crier
How long have you been
involved with Volunteering
Canterbury for?
I’ve been involved
with Volunteering Canterbury
for 21 years.
And what have you
achieved in that time?
They weren’t just my achievements,
I was leading a great team
that led a whole group of volunteers
and encouraged volunteering
throughout Canterbury.
Sure. How many volunteers
did you get into the community
in your time? Do you know the
number?
Thousands in my time, I
probably couldn’t tell you the
exact number. After the earthquake
there was a lot of informal
volunteering, and it took time to
become more formal again. By
the end of my time there, we were
having a couple hundred volunteers
a month applying.
Okay, so who is next in line
for your job?
The organisation has decided
now to have two managers, one
that does marketing outreach,
and she’s been there for four
years, and there’s a new man that
will be coming in too.
What was some of the work
you got involved with because
of the earthquake?
RECOGNITION: Mayor Lianne Dalziel spoke at Ruth Gardner’s retirement function to recognise
her work for Volunteering Canterbury over 21 years.
Well we had a lot to do with
clearing liquefaction off the
streets with the help of volunteers,
the Student Volunteer
Army and the Farmy Army. We
made sure those people that
needed help got it.
How many people are involved
in Volunteering Canterbury?
There are only two paid workers
full time, but there is another
group of about 10 who help out
voluntarily. They do store work,
accounting, PR work, stores or
expos, website, trust board, all
kinds of things, whenever we
needed something we knew
where to find those people.
Wow, sounds like you’ve had
some busy days?
It was always busy, always
varied, and there was always
something different every day. It
keeps you on your toes.
Did you still feel like that at
the end of your 21 years?
Yes, absolutely, I still feel like
that, I had just had enough of full
time work, so now I’m able to do
other things which is great.
Oh that’s good then. What do
you do in your spare time now?
I still actually do a bit of voluntary
work, I chair the residents
committee in the Avon Loop,
and that’s with a lovely bunch of
people too. At the moment we’re
working hard to rebuild a local
community centre. There’s seven
on that committee, and others
help around the place. I’ve been
involved for quite a long time.
But since the earthquake the need
has become different for a lot
of communities. We also have a
community cottage that we maintain
and rent out.
With Volunteering Canterbury
did your role change after
the earthquake to more of an
emergency recovery mode?
Yes it did, in fact we had to put
some of our policies to the side
after earthquake. Because there
were urgent things that had to
happen right away, and a lot of
informal volunteering took place.
It was also a bit difficult in terms
of health and safety with people
going around those dangerous
chimneys.
Are you from Christchurch?
I’ve been here for 30 years
and I was also brought up here,
so I’ve spent more than half
my life here, but I was born in
Auckland. I went to St Albans
Primary School, and then
back to Auckland when I was
about 10, and lived there for 20
something years, but now I love
Christchurch and I wouldn’t
leave.
Oh that’s good to hear! What
high school did you go to?
Epsom Grammar in Auckland.
I don’t have a degree but I did
feminist studies at Canterbury
University and a bit of study at
the polytechnic. And I’m actually
a celebrant too, with the certificate
and everything.
Wow, you’re qualified all over
the show.
Well, when you’re in the voluntary
sector you never know what
will come in handy, and what
different skills are useful.
And now that you’ve retired
from Volunteering Canterbury,
do you plan to do a bit more
with your celebrant’s certificate?
Oh yes, absolutely. Now that
I’m retired I’m hoping to do more
celebrants work.
Do you know how many weddings
you’ve done?
Oh, I really don’t know. I’d say
about 100 weddings, but a lot
fewer since the earthquakes. But
I’m hoping now to have more
time to do more weddings. I’m
also a keen blogger, I write about
anything that’s going on around
here, and anything to do with the
central city. I’ve been doing that
for 10 years, and I have more than
1000 followers, which has taken a
long time. But that’s on realruth.
wordpress.com if you wanted to
have a look.
Very good, I definitely will.
What are some other hobbies?
I enjoy my garden and I write
poetry. I write mainly rhyming
poetry, I joined a group of
women poets, and I like to walk
and relax with friends.
And are you married with
kids?
Yes, I’m married and two adult
daughters who both live in England.
Both near London, one is a
lawyer and one is an IT manager.
They’ve done very well, yes.
And does your husband work
still?
Yes, he does – he’s actually the
town crier. It makes for some
interesting conversations for sure.
He’s originally from England, but
he’s been doing that for about 26
years. He started five years before
me, to the day. He’s very keen to
keep doing that.
Where in the city are you
based?
We’re in one of the remaining
little old cottages in the Avon
Loop now.
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