Encouraging story of 11-year-old volunteer
This week is Student Volunteer Week so we're shining the spotlight on a few local young volunteers. First up is Koko, an invaluable member of the Volunteer Marlborough team. We've introduced Koko before but we wanted to ask a few more questions to give you a better idea of what she does and why she does it...
How old are you? 11 years old
What do you do when you volunteer? So far for my volunteering, I have been a promotional assistant for Volunteer Marlborough. I have handed out flyers and also delivered posters to local businesses
What is your favourite part? Getting outside and getting exercise while I do my job
Why did you start volunteering? I started volunteering as it is a part of my MP (maximising potential) challenge at Bohally intermediate.
How do you feel your volunteer work impacts the Marlborough community? I feel that my work informs the community about Volunteer Marlborough and the many ways that they can become volunteers.
Has volunteering given you an opportunity to learn anything or gain new skills? I have learnt about volunteering and what it means. I have also become more confident when delivering the posters and talking to the public.
What do you do when you’re not volunteering? When I am not volunteering, I am at school or doing sports and homework. I also love reading.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about starting volunteering? I would say volunteering is great fun and it is very rewarding, and you can do anything you like!
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️