Kāpiti Carers' urgent call for new younger drivers

Kāpiti Carers co-coordinator Diana Ponsford. Photo / David Haxton

If you've got some spare time, enjoy chatting to people, are good behind the wheel and like helping others, then how about becoming a Kāpiti Carers driver?

The incorporated society, which has been operating for half a century, is keen to bolster the number of drivers on its books, especially younger ones.

A driver takes a client to their medical appointment in places such as Wellington Hospital, Hutt Hospital, Kenepuru Hospital or the various private hospitals, and drops them home again in return for a monetary donation.

Kāpiti Carers has about 100 drivers on its books but only about 40 are regulars.

The society was in full swing pre-Covid with about 120 trips a week but the pandemic has seen the numbers drop significantly.

"Not only have the outpatient departments been closed, but because we're often taking older people, they're too anxious to go into a public hospital, and a lot of the drivers are also too scared to go now," said co-coordinator Diana Ponsford.

"And we know the floodgates are about to open because the numbers are picking up, especially for Paraparaumu.

"We're looking for new younger drivers that can give some time about once a fortnight."

The society has four co-ordinators - two in Paraparaumu and two in Waikanae - who field calls by people seeking transport to a medical appointment.

The co-ordinator will then go through the driver list until they find someone who can help out.

"We found that process works best, although it's a bit more time-consuming, but people don't like to have set days."

For a return Wellington trip, a koha of $60 is recommended, and a return trip to Kenepuru is $40, with Kāpiti Carers ready to help out to make sure each driver is reimbursed the full amount.

Being a Kāpiti Carers driver, which will involve using your own fully insured vehicle, was enjoyable.

"All the drivers absolutely love it.

"The clients, mostly in their 80s, have got huge life experience, great stories, and they are so grateful and so happy that a service like this still exists in a time when generally, things have turned pear-shaped."

Ponsford said the society was started 50 years ago by four churches in the district.

The drivers were young mums who had some free time when their children were at school.

"But now, down the track, we are all retired aging drivers, and it has been a rocky road but there is light at the end of the tunnel because with Transmission Gully it is so much easier to get into town.

"Often the drivers were taking three hours to get home after an appointment.

"So now it is much easier and we know we can leave at a certain time and be home at a certain time."

If you're keen to become a Kāpiti Carers driver, then contact Diana Ponsford (Waikanae) on 04 293 8590 or Louise Scott (Paraparaumu) on 021 052 5640.