Volunteering  |  21 Jun 2021

Volunteering is a family affair for Ben and Nevaeh McCallum.

The father and daughter joined the Off the Wall Graffiti Programme run by Christchurch City Council in 2017 after spotting a brochure about the programme at their local library.

Nevaeh was only seven at the time, but dad Ben was keen to instil her with a strong work ethic and thought helping to get rid of graffiti was a worthwhile task they could tackle together.

“At the time there was lot of graffiti along the front of our shops so we decided to get active with that,’’ Ben says.

As part of the Off the Wall Graffiti programme, the pair help to paint out graffiti in their local neighbourhood. They also act as tag spotters, reporting graffiti to the Council when they see it so that it can be removed.

It has been a fun experience for Nevaeh; one that has come with an added bonus that many other kids with siblings will relate to.

“It gets me away from my brother,’’ she says.

Ben says he doesn’t know many other people in his age group who do volunteer work and worries that volunteering is a dying art.

He reckons that more people should give volunteering a go: “Definitely give it a go. You’ve got nothing to lose. If it’s not for you, it’s not for you. But you won’t know until you give it a go.’’

20 to 26 June is National Volunteer Week. Find out how you can make a difference in your community by volunteering.