Once a week Alan Smith arranges his work to fit around a hospital trip. It takes a couple of hours out of his day, but he's done it for 13 years and it has become part of his weekly routine.
But it's not Mr Smith who needs hospital treatment or a
check-up. He volunteers his time to drive cancer patients to their appointments.
The Cancer Society is struggling to find enough volunteer drivers in West and South Auckland to meet patients' needs, and Mr Smith wants to encourage more people to help.
"I am self-employed and I have time that is more manageable so, once a week, I'll ring up and see if they need me to take anyone," says the Herald Island resident, explaining that anyone can help if they have a spare couple of hours during the week.
"The patient spirit is amazing. "Sometimes, they are particularly unwell, but seeing their courage is very rewarding, which is why I've been doing this for 13 years. And they are very good at putting up with grumpy drivers."
West Harbour resident Jack Turk is one of the patients Mr Smith drove to appointments each week last year. "I had 37 days of treatment, and my wife would take me three days a week and the volunteer drivers came for the other two days," says Mr Turk. He says it was a big help to his family.
"I really enjoyed their company [the drivers] and they were always on time," he says.
The Cancer Society's volunteer manager, Jacqui Fill, says there is a big demand for the service in West and South Auckland.
"We currently have about 300 drivers that cover the entire Auckland area," she says. "We organise between 500 and 600 drives a month, but the drivers can do as many or as few as they can fit in."
Ms Fill hopes people with some spare time during the day will be able to help out. "The best thing is that it can fit in with anything. We have pilots and shift workers and real estate agents who give us their schedules and fit driving around their work. We don't want people to think that they have to structure their lives around waiting for us to call. If they want to help out once a week or once a month, that's great."
Wheel need
The society offers training and support to cover petrol costs. You need a car, a full driver's licence and a friendly manner.
To be a volunteer driver, contact the Cancer Society on 308 0496 or email volunteers@akcansoc.org.nz.