John Nicols, 88, enjoys his role as driver. Photo / Brett Phibbs
John Nicols, 88, enjoys his role as driver. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Getting up in the early morning seldom fazes a farmer. But once retirement arrives and the farm is left behind, it would seem fair enough if the farmer allowed himself a sleep-in.
Not John Nicols, an 88-year-old volunteer driver for Age Concern North Shore, who still gets up withthe sparrows.
For 13 years he has driven thousands of elderly people daily to the city's hospitals and private clinics.
From his North Shore home, he arrives at patients' houses at the crack of dawn, fights rush-hour traffic, and gets them to their destination on time.
But his dedication to helping the elderly goes beyond those lofty heights of volunteer work, Age Concern volunteer driver manager Maureen Andrews said.
Mr Nicols, a former Te Kuiti farmer and Monte Cassino veteran, ushers in the patients, waits with them if they need companionship and reassurance, and helps them negotiate the hospital corridors.
On Wednesdays he volunteers as the driver for a lunch club - enabling the less mobile to get out and socialise once a week.
