Barrie Marsh is not slowing down

BUSY MAN: Barrie Marsh with Digby and his beloved aviary. PICTURE / PAUL BROOKS

When Barrie Marsh stepped out from behind the administration desk at Whanganui Volunteer Centre after 12 years, he knew very well he wouldn't be taking it easy.
He has lots to keep him busy and no doubt he and his wife Keren will carry on doing what they love doing - helping other people.
Last week, the Centre treated him to a farewell lunch and presented him with a photographic memento of his time there.
"What a wonderful gift. I was so taken aback. It will last forever ... all the staff I've worked with."
Barrie has worked with four Volunteer Centre managers and proved to be invaluable to them all. He is an ordained Salvation Army pastor - he's been with them 34 years and trained as an Army officer in England - so he'll be busy with pastoral visitation work and chaplaincy for one thing.
He has a degree in social work so he has sought after skills.
"[Leaving the Volunteer Centre] was not an easy decision to make, because I love Volunteer Whanganui ... all the people I've met, all the volunteers, the staff, the managers, and it's been wonderful."
Barrie has seen people grow, from their first timid approaches asking if they could help as a volunteer, to becoming useful, skilled people with measurable self-esteem.
"It's turned their life around; especially people in retirement," he says. He has been particularly impressed with the numbers of young people asking to volunteer. Their unpaid work gets added to their CV and looks good on a job application.
Barry retired in 2004 after managing the Salvation Army Family Store, and he knew he had to do something. He still had his health and strong sense of self-worth, so after a couple of weeks off, during which he realised he didn't suit the idle life, he went to see Marian Dean, Volunteer Whanganui manager at the time.
"'Come in Barrie, welcome', she said to me. So I worked as administrator with Marian, then Davina, then Murray and then I worked with Sandra.
"I'm still on the Volunteer Whanganui board - I've been there eight years." He says he'll probably do another year as treasurer and that might be it.
Also keeping him busy is his volunteer role at the Patea museum - Aotea Utanganui Museum of South Taranaki. He's been there for nine years. He was going twice a month but has now been put on their digitisation project and some IT work. Barrie might be 78, but he is a dab hand on the computer. He has also joined the Patea Historical Society and has been asked to be treasurer. The society has 75 members.
Barrie has Patea connections. When his family came out from England in 1948, they lived in Patea until 1955. Their old home still stands.
His father was the Patea milk vendor. When Barry was 16 the Queen stopped at Patea Station while touring New Zealand by train. He got a photo of her gloved hand. Barrie also runs a group that supports men in their grief. That's been running for eight years.
"I've got my Recovery Church at the Salvation Army, I've been involved with Red Cross since 2006 and I'm now their patron and I'm still involved with the tram."
He still also helps out with reading at the school at Faith City Church. At home his aviary and chickens keeps him busy and he is determined to finish writing his memoirs. He has a lot to write about, having travelled to 31 countries and worked around the world. It's a story worth telling - personal tragedies and all - and he ascribes a lot of his strength to his enduring faith.
Barrie's health is good and he feels he still has a lot to give.