Harbour View Rest Home: The Gentle Presence Behind The Morning Walks

On Tuesday and Wednesday mornings I would always see a familiar face waiting for our residents outside the dementia unit. It’s time for the morning walk and this gentleman would be walking around with 2 or 3 of our residents. His name is Peter James Bond - 75 year old, a former court manager in Oamaru, a father of 3 and a grandad of 6! I would often watch him gently assisting our resident during the walk - he would smile and talk so friendly with them, making them really excited for their morning walk.

I am very impressed by how he’s handling them considering that he is already a 75 year old guy, but still with so much patience and care for our residents. Peter has been volunteering in Harbour View since 2012. In one instance, I asked him what motivates him to volunteer? He said it started when his mom spent her days in our facility and eventually he decided to do volunteer work with us! What is more impressful, he is also a volunteer at Citizens Advice Bureau, a Justice of Peace, and a member of Lions Club! His love for doing volunteer work and giving back to the community is amazing!

Story written by Harbour View Resthome for our Volunteer Celebration Stories campaign to celebrate National Volunteer Week 2026.