In Doing For Others You Do For Yourself

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By Mike Milstein.

Alison Roxburgh’s life focuses on volunteer work. She says “I think it’s a gene I inherited from my father. He was very civic minded and very involved. I always have been too and I think I always will be.” She is particularly interested in serving her community. In fact, as she notes, she has spent her “life working in the community focusing mostly on education, women, and consumer issues.”

Alison grew up in Dunedin, “of good Presbyterian stock.” She had a happy home life that she came to cherish as she grew older. She went to school at Columba College and Otagao University, did post-graduate work in Auckland and then returned to Dunedin as a staff member in the Home Science School at Otago University. She took a break for three years for her OE, returned, married Jim, and moved to Nelson where they have lived for the past 43 years. They have a son, Angus.

Alison’s volunteer efforts include involvement with the Nelson Civic Trust, the Consumer Council, the National Council of Women, the Historic Places Trust, the City Luncheon Club, her Probus club, and 15 years as Council member and Chair of the Nelson Polytechnic. She is also a JP and has been honoured three times for her work for women in the community.

“I’ve always been involved in voluntary work. You take on one activity and you get sucked into another. I just got involved and got to know many people and had wonderful opportunities over the years.” When reflecting on her work in the community she jokingly says “maybe I should be sitting at home and chucking out papers, cleaning out drawers and cupboards, and gardening. Perhaps it’s just easier to be out in the community.”

“I remain energized because of the people. I enjoy meeting people and doing community work. I consider myself fortunate to be able to do so.” Her enthusiasm for volunteering is deep and infectious and is shared by her husband and her son.

“When Jim retired, that made a big difference. I suddenly found I lost my privacy at home every day. Changes had to take place. We’re lucky. We still have two cars and I can maintain my independence.”

Alison is 73 and Jim is past 80. She realizes the importance of living life fully. Looking to the future Alison knows there may be health challenges ahead, but “you just have to learn the best you can and get on with it. With luck you’ll come out at the other end. You gradually slow down and realize you can’t do what you used to do.”

She does find time to enjoy music and art and tries to take a walk a few times a week. Most important, she realizes the importance of staying connected, particularly with younger people. “Our son went to school here so we know lots of his contemporaries and their parents. Also through the volunteer work I do there are always younger people involved and I try to get even more of them involved.”

“For years I was engaged nationally and internationally with the National Council for Women and the International Council for Women. I went to Paris twice a year and to Wellington often. Now I stay closer to home. It’s an interesting time. I focus on Nelson, learning more and more about my own community’s history and what happened here in the past. I’m enjoying being in reading groups and having a wee bit more time for myself and for the community. Jim and I also travel together, which is great”

Down deep she believes in the importance of volunteering. She paraphrases President Kennedy, encouraging all of us to “think not what you can do for yourself but what you can do for others. Are you interested in older people? In younger people? Whatever your interests are, pick one or two and help others.”

Note: This article was published in The Leader, Nelson, NZ. It summarizes an interview aired on Nelson’s Fresh FM that was conducted by Annie Henry for the Conscious Ageing Network (CAN), which is sponsored by Age Concern, Nelson. If you want to share your thoughts with CAN or wish to know when interviews will be aired, send an email to agewell@xtra.co.nz.