4th June 2023
Volunteer Story - Allan Stewart
Allan Stewart lives in Dumbarton. He has been a volunteer driver for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland since 2018 and is involved in two peer support groups in Paisley.
In the run-up to his retirement, a decade after most people are collecting their pension, Allan Stewart knew he would need something productive still to do.
So, two years before he finally called time on his business career at the age of 76, Allan did a quick Google search for charities looking for volunteers. Within weeks, he was signed up as a driver with Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland.
Allan is a firm part of the CHSS volunteer family, driving participants to and from two peer support groups in the Paisley area.
Allan, who lives in Dumbarton, says: “I had no experience of stroke, so it was an eye-opener when I first met the people who were recovering. It’s been an experience but a worthwhile one to be involved in.”
A former Merchant Navy officer, Allan latterly ran a marine consultancy firm after a long career in the shipping business. Having decided to spend less time at work, he was casting around for a volunteer role when he came across CHSS. Since the pandemic, he and his partner have decided to close the consultancy, and now his free time is mostly devoted to his voluntary roles. He says:
“I started with CHSS in July 2018, driving some of the guys to a men’s group in Gallowhill in Paisley. I also picked up some other stroke survivors who attended an art class, also in Paisley, which is affiliated to CHSS. However, when you start as a volunteer, you very quickly become much more involved in what’s going on, and I got quite into it."
“The interesting thing about being involved in volunteering is that you meet a wide section of people affected by a stroke and it is rewarding to see them recover as best as they can. Everyone in the groups have different things going on, but they’re all willing to share their solutions and experiences to their mutual benefit.
“Anyone who does any kind of volunteering gets a lot of satisfaction from it. I always just hoped that my general knowledge, experience and encouragement could help a little bit.”