Volunteer Case Studies National Volunteers' Week - Sue Whelan What does Sue Whelan love about volunteering at Daisy Chain? “I love that at 62 years old I still get to have fun in soft play and go down the slide – that’s my favourite activity,” she laughs. Sue has been volunteering for eight years at Daisy Chain after she took early retirement from her role as a rehabilitation officer training blind and visually impaired people independent living skills.Herself visually impaired from birth, Sue understands what it is like to live with a disability and have little support in school as a youngster. But Sue has not let it stand in the way of her learning – she has degrees in sociology and education, psychology and went on to complete a master’s in psychology too.“When I left full-time work, I wanted to volunteer and do something different. My great nephew was undergoing diagnosis for Autism Spectrum Disorder so I was interested in working at Daisy Chain and learning more about it on a practical level. Also, I love children and relate well to them. “Daisy Chain was completely different to anything I had experienced before. I love it that’s why I have stayed so long,” she smiles.Initially, Sue volunteered on activity days and school holiday clubs as well as fundraising. Over the last few years she has devoted two mornings a week to helping out in the Wednesday toddler session and Thursday’s crèche. “I have really loved volunteering at Daisy Chain over the years. It has been a rewarding challenge, learning how to communicate with the children and being creative in how to do this if they are non-verbal. Now I love working with the little ones, I have watched some of them grow from babies, developing their own personalities.“It is amazing what children achieve at Daisy Chain and it’s nice to be able to give the parents a little bit of a break when they can sit down and have a coffee. The parents are amazing and often they get very little time to themselves, so I feel like I am helping in my own small way.“Daisy Chain has been, and still is, a big part of my life. It’s like being part of a family, an ever-growing family. It has grown so much since I started but it has never lost that family feeling. I would recommend volunteering at Daisy Chain to anyone – you really do feel as though you are part of something very special.”