12/06/2026
⭐️ Volunteer Fridays: husband and wife duo special edition: meet Sue and Steve! ⭐️
Steve’s working life took him down many different paths. He jokes he’s had too many jobs to list off, but his last role before retiring was a forklift driver. Sue, meanwhile, spent her career working as an engineer until she retired a little over six years ago. She first thought she would have to wait four years for Steve to retire, however, not wanting to leave her waiting, Steve chose to retire early and their retired life together began.
They started volunteering for Torridge Volunteer Cars six years ago after Steve began looking into volunteering opportunities, and visited the volunteer bureau. He initially sought to join a befriending service, but since they weren’t looking for new volunteers, the bureau sent him to us.
Sue and Steve volunteer one day a week on separate days, and let us know which days they’d like to do at the beginning of the month so we don’t bother them when they’re doing other things! Driving separate days works well for them, as it gives them a little bit of alone time, but also means they can help each other out if something happens or goes wrong with one of their cars.
Sue loves meeting different people and hearing their stories. She says her passengers have all been lovely, and it’s clear how much the journeys help them. She also enjoys waiting for her passengers to finish their appointments as she can sit and read “guilt free”, with a coffee and no interruptions.
Steve told me a story about his recent experience being unwell, when he realised just how difficult it would’ve been for him to attend his appointments without Sue’s support. He says “people have enough to think about already when they’re ill without worrying about transport”, and that it’s a shame they’re forced to fall back on services like ours.
He says he would recommend volunteering to others as “you get something back from it. Think about if you were ever in that situation. Try it once and see how you get on.” Steve says his passengers are always grateful, and remembers a time he took a passenger to an appointment in Exeter. When Steve got him back home, the gentleman popped into his house, asking Steve to hang on for a minute, and came out with a jar of homemade honey! He says the passenger didn’t make a big deal out of it, but just wanted to show his gratitude.
I asked how they spend their free time, but quickly realised "free time" isn't a phrase that applies to Sue and Steve! Sue enjoys Tai Chi and cold water swimming, as well as gardening or just spending time at home. Steve usually goes out kayaking two days a week, which he says isn’t enough. Sue, however, says it’s too much! They also spend time together whenever possible. When I spoke to them recently, they had already been out on a morning bike ride, were getting ready for their trip upcoming to Wadebridge, and have recently been to an outdoor cinema together!
Their story demonstrates how you don’t have to dedicate all your time to volunteering, especially if you have lots of other hobbies to keep you busy, but if you want to do something to help others, then you can. Every journey makes a massive difference to someone’s life; please consider getting in touch with us to see how you can help out.
Please get in touch by phoning us on 01237 237200 (weekdays 10am - 1pm) or pop us over an email anytime on [email protected]
