Gosport Voluntary Action has merged with Community First. Find out more about them here.
Gosport Voluntary Action has merged with Community First. Find out more about them here.
Information and advice directory of local services for adults with care and support needs.
Search for Support
19/03/2024
Dustbusters are a team of super humans working quietly but effectively in our community. Filling their capacity to support as many residents as possible to remain living independently in their own home. Keeping their independence, we find, is always the ultimate aim and is of utmost importance to the residents that we provide support too.
At times, capacity and meeting the demand has been a huge challenge to expand the team and meet the demand for various reasons. We very carefully select the Dustbusters and volunteers for their caring, compassionate nature, andfor their commitment and want to make a difference within their community.
We took some time to interview Anne, who has been with GVA since 2002, supporting local residents for an amazing 22 years! She is not only a Dustbuster, she is also a volunteer befriender here at GVA. We asked Anne a fewquestions about being in the roles. Her responses and commitment to the organisation demonstrates the calibre of the carefully selected team that the Borough is benefiting from, and with that, comes the great job satisfaction that the Dustbuster/volunteer receives. It is a win win situation, everybody involved benefits in some way.
Anne explained that she came to us from a stressful sales job and she was initially just looking for something with less stress. She enjoys doing housework, loves to meet new people and likes the flexibility the role can give; she didn’t think she would still be here 22 years later. When asked why she has stayed so long, she replied “I enjoy meeting new people, I enjoy housework and the role gives a huge sense of purpose and fulfilment. I enjoy giving the physical help that the clients need, still less stressful than sales! I become good friends with the clients, Anne says “My clients like me coming, I don’t just do their housework, I allow time between each client to spend some time with them as they usually don’t get much social time between my visits”. For so many clients the benefit of the social aspect is just as great as they physical help”.
Photo of Dustbuster; Anne Starr
It was when Anne could see the benefit of the social aspect to her clients that she quite quickly decided she would like to become a volunteer for GVA befriending service, in addition to the Dustbuster role. 22 years of residents benefitting from this wonderful lady’s service.
Here at GVA we aim for everybody involved in providing or receiving our services to benefit from it. Anne staying for 22 years demonstrates perfectly how this is the case. She has contributed greatly to Dustbusters aim of keeping residents independent and also, the ultimate aim of befriending to combat social isolation in our community.
Should you, or anybody you know, be interested in providing and receiving any of these services please contact 02392601314 or Jessica.gant@gva.org.uk for Dustbusters and for befriending contact 02392604686 or laura.drew@gva.org.uk
