Tony is one of our volunteer drivers at TouchBase East Dunbartonshire.

A retired modern languages teacher, Tony began volunteering for the service in 2014. He’s always given his time to charity and, after retiring, he wanted to make the most of his newly acquired free time. Walking into the service, just a short walk from his house, Tony was immediately drawn to the atmosphere and friendliness of the staff. He knew he wanted to be a part of it.

Over the years, Tony has built a particular rapport with Henry, a young man supported at the service. Henry, who has Down Syndrome, has been attending the service for over 20 years, and is well-known for his love of music. Tony met Henry when he began driving him between his home and the service, and since then they have become extremely fond of each other.

As a retired modern languages teacher, Tony has been keen to introduce a little French into their interactions, and as a result Henry loves to greet him with a “Bonjour, Tony!”.

Tony describes himself as “just a wee cog in the wheel” – and, while we think he’s just being modest, we know that Sense Scotland couldn’t operate without its fantastic volunteers like Tony.