This week is Volunteer Awareness Week and we are celebrating the dedication of our Walking School Bus volunteers! Below is an ARTA press release with all the details about what will be happening during the week.

If you would like to become a Walking School Bus volunteer, please contact us!

Cross generational walking school bus volunteers celebrated
Press Release
21 June 2010

National Volunteer Awareness Week gets underway today (Monday 21 June) and to mark the occasion the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) is celebrating the hard work carried out by its Walking School Bus Volunteers.

Over 2000 people in Auckland dedicate some time each week to help local children walk to school as part of the TravelWise Walking School Bus programme, which promotes sustainable and safe transport throughout the region. The theme of this year’s campaign is ‘across the generations’ and ARTA is highlighting this to encourage more people, of any age, to get involved in one of their local Walking School Buses.

Grace (29) and June (26) Pafalani, are two sisters who have been volunteering at Grace’s daughter’s school, Peninsula Primary on the Te Atatu peninsula, for the past four months.

Grace said: “Choosing to walk to school with my daughter and help other local children make the trip in a safe and fun way has had a really positive impact for me and the kids. My sister and I decided to help out by volunteering on the walking school bus each morning and afternoon, which is so much fun. We walk for about 20 minutes each way and make sure the children get to school safely and on time.

“It really makes me feel happy to see what effect it has on the children in our walk. There are about 20 pupils who come along and they are really bubbly and energetic as the walk to school gets them exercising and socialising together. It’s also been really good for us as it saves on gas.”

Many volunteer their time in other ways to make students journey’s to school safer, such as Miles Maxted (76), who volunteers at Murrays Bay Intermediate every morning by helping coordinate the traffic movements when parents and buses are transporting children to the school. He has been actively involved in the Murrays Bay Intermediate since his children attended there in the 1970s. Now Miles says the exercise involved in volunteering is good for his health.

“It gets me out and about. I lay out cones and signs to ensure that drivers observe the road code which helps keep the traffic moving and the children safe.

“I’d really like to see more people involved in volunteering on some level. There must be retired people like myself with an interest in traffic management who would really enjoy helping out in the community. It would get them off the sofa and walking around a bit more.”

ARTA, along with the help and support of local councils, will be thanking volunteers across the region this week by awarding them with a certificate which highlights the skills they’ve attained by volunteering, such as reliability, community spirit and road safety education, which can be used as part of their CV. They will also be given a TravelWise umbrella and other gifts to help them carry out their volunteering work.

Mark Lambert, General Manager, Customer Services for The Auckland Regional Transport Authority, said: “We are always looking for new volunteers for our walking school buses so get involved! It’s a great way to spend time with your children while you both get fresh air and exercise on your walk to and from school. All you need to get involved is a positive attitude and good road safety skills.”

For more information on getting involved in a Walking School Bus, please visit the Walking School Section.