When you meet Ray Scells you can’t help but smile. He has an infectious positive energy and kind face with a beaming smile. Ray has been volunteering for the Comlink Australia Ipswich branch for over a year and a half now and is proud to be making a positive contribution to the community.

Ray came into volunteering quite unexpectedly after looking for employment for sometime and a friend mentioned that she had been volunteering at Comlink Australia social events and Ray should come along and give it a try. “Everyone was so friendly and the clients were so happy, I just knew I wanted to come back and volunteer for Comlink Australia,” said Ray. Previously Ray had worked in the police force, prisons, agriculture, retail and shared his love of working with people and now volunteering with the aged community was an easy progression.

I’ve made so many new friends among the clients as well as the Comlink Australia staff and volunteers. We really are just a big family.

Ray enjoys driving clients on the small twenty-seater bus to a range of social events in the Ipswich area and into Brisbane. “I’ve made so many new friends among the clients as well as the Comlink Australia staff and volunteers. We really are just a big family,” said Ray.

Ray shared that the part of his role that he finds the most rewarding is spending time to get to know clients and really listen to their stories. He said “many clients have extraordinary stories and some have sad stories and when clients are with me, I just want to make sure they are having a good time and I can bring a smile to their face.”

During the coronavirus pandemic Ray is isolating at home with his partner and Rottweilers. He feels it is important to look after his health as well as the health of Comlink Australia clients and he is looking forward to returning to Comlink Australia social events in the near future. In the interim Ray is participating in Comlink Australia’s new program TeleFriends that you can read more about here.

“I am proud to volunteer for the community as I truly feel like I am making a difference to peoples lives. And when I meet people out in public and they take the time to thank me for my community service, I know I’m doing a good thing,” Ray said proudly.

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