“Keep going. Keep doing.”
That’s what our ‘cover girl’ Helen Vincent thinks is the secret to living and ageing well.
And, judging from the cover photo of her traversing Morialta Falls in South Australia’s foothills, we think she’s on to something.
This particular walk was a veritable stroll compared to the worldwide walks she’s participated in since she turned 60 – she’s done parts of Everest and Kilimanjaro, the Inca Trail and treks in Patagonia, just to name a few. Helen’s passion for walking – all sorts of walking in all sorts of places – came in more than handy when, as a volunteer at ACH Group Residential Care Home Highercombe, she designed a ‘Walking Around Australia’ initiative with residents.
More than 90 residents ‘virtually’ walked around Australia and recorded their progress on a large map – clocking up more than 8,500 kilometres. It’s just one of many initiatives Helen has poured her heart and soul into since commencing in a volunteer role in 2010, when seeking a career change.
Now Helen is in paid employment with ACH Group, currently working part time on a Customer Experience Project which sees her contact current and former customers to uncover just what they think of ACH Group. Having volunteered in a variety of roles with ACH Group, Helen says she has been able to amass a range of knowledge that has helped her to connect with customers and ‘join the dots’.
At 68 she is in no hurry to leave the workforce. “Working is important to me – whether in a volunteer or paid capacity, because it’s really important that we feel connected, and part of a team. I wanted to continue working, but in a new direction, and I made some other subtle changes as I began looking for worthwhile volunteering/work – learning to play contract bridge and mahjong – because I just knew the danger of leaving work and not having something else to stimulate me.”
Helen says she has been really lucky in her journey with ACH Group so far, and feels privileged to work with others who are passionate about what they do. “I’m surrounded by positive, kind and caring individuals who respect and want the best for their customers, and I’m also blessed to have customers share their stories so generously – frequently mind blowing!”