Interviewer

Can you start off by telling us your name and age?

 

Richard Reoch

Yes. I’m Richard Reoch and I am 75 years old.

 

Interviewer

Can you tell us about who Jane was and how she was a part of FAABI?

 

Richard Reoch

Jane had three careers. She first worked in the International Secretariat of the Human Rights Organisation, Amnesty International. And then, she decided to become a nurse and she trained and worked eventually as an intensive care nurse at Bart’s Hospital in London for a number of years. And while she was doing that, there was a remarkable healthcare initiative that took place in the borough of Islington, which was known as “Prescription for Exercise.” And this enabled a GP to issue a prescription for exercise to a patient who, for example, might have had a serious heart condition. And they could take this prescription and go to a local gym, or leisure centre, and they would be provided with the appropriate exercise that helps with the recovery from that condition. And they wanted to have someone who could coordinate that program, and somebody recommended Jane because she had this professional nursing background, and also had trained in the Chinese art of Tai Chi, which is a very, very potent system for supporting the body’s internal energy. And so, with this double skill background, she started doing this work and it was a tremendous success. It began to spread across London and in the course of that, she was introduced to the wonderful work of FAABI and was asked if she could lead a Tai Chi class for the members of FAABI and she was absolutely thrilled to do that. And I know how delighted she was, because she endlessly told me that.

Interviewer 

What specifically did Jane do for Friends of Attend ABI (FAABI)?

 

Richard Reoch

You know, the word about Jane spread, and the effect that people experienced from both learning this remarkable exercise system, which strengthens both body and mind, as well as Jane’s unique, caring way of attending to people meant that she began – that would have been about seven years ago – offering an in-person class here at the King’s Fund building for the people that FAABI was supporting. So, sometimes there would be between seven and maybe up to 25 people in a class. And, you know, Jane, she worked her magic, maybe you could put it that way. She would begin showing them the very slow, very gentle movements, which are sort of deceptively easy in Tai Chi. But, I think what she brought to it was this invisible sense of being a deeply caring person, and caring in the way that is so inclusive, that the scale of the inclusivity, and acceptance is invisible. And so, people who were struggling with issues of being trauma survivors, having really serious mobility issues, and all the internal turmoil that goes with that, having had an extremely serious injury, which maybe affects your whole nervous system, found that they were being held in the environment that she created. So that in a sense, what they went through –  and I don’t want to overstate this – but the word that comes to mind is a kind of process of self healing: the kind of self healing when you’ve been through something that’s incredibly difficult. And maybe, you sit down, I mean, even at the end of a hard day’s work, and there’s this kind of relaxation that comes over the body and the mind and you intuitively know that it’s regenerative. And I think that is what she offered. And I know it was appreciated because everybody kept asking her to come back again, and again, and again. And when we had the event on Zoom, for the FAABI people to celebrate Jane, when it became clear that there was a video that they could follow and sort of instructions, it was like, “Oh! We haven’t lost the source of this healing and regeneration, we can actually return to it over and over again,” and I think that –  I know – is something that Jane had in mind when she made these videos. None of us know how long we have. And she wanted to offer something that would be of some enduring value to the people that she loved.

Interviewer

What motivated Jane at first to pursue Tai Chi and volunteering?

 

Richard Reoch

Well, I think Jane came from a sort of social tradition, maybe you could say, where volunteering was a noble occupation that you did what you did best for the service of others and to the extent that you could do that, without receiving payment, was actually the greatest personal reward that you could have. So, rather than volunteering being sort of like a lower-order group within a professional structure, actually, Jane came from a kind of tradition, where it was at least equivalent to the paid professionals. And to some extent, maybe even seen as more, you could say, noble. And of course, she began work here in the UK, first of all, for Amnesty International, which is overwhelmingly a volunteer organisation. The number of professionals at the heart of it are incredibly small, a number maybe a couple of hundred nowadays. Whereas it comprises 7 million people worldwide, who give freely of their time in support of this cause. So, I think the point is that Jane came out of that tradition, and then was able to sort of connect that in her work for charitable entities like FAABI.  The way that Jane came into the world of Tai Chi actually has something to do with me. We obviously met each other many, many, many years ago. And at one point, I had a very severe slipped disc. And the pain was intense. Unfortunately, the care which I received through the hospital where I went didn’t solve the problem. And at a certain point, I said to Jane, “Maybe I should do Tai Chi.” And she said, “No problem, I’ll find a class for both of us,” which she went off and she did. We took this class in what used to be called Adult Education. My back problem cleared up remarkably and that introduction to Tai Chi took place 38 years ago. And we were very fortunate, because the centre of the teaching of this ancient art was a Chinese master from Hong Kong – his name was Master Lam. And we became his students, and Jane and I continued to be his students for as long as Jane lived. And I continue.

https://youtu.be/NSEE78cpcDQ

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Interviewer

What other volunteering have you both been a part of?

 

Richard Reoch

So I would say that volunteering, in a way, is somewhat at the heart of the lives that both Jane and I have had. The list of organisations of which Jane was a volunteer member largely includes not only health support organisations, but also organisations like the National Council for Civil Liberties, War on Want, ActionAid. I mean, the list is actually extraordinary. And associated with that, in many cases, was not only giving of her time and her support, but also being a very generous donor. And I also came out of that sort of background. And in fact, since I retired from paid employment in Amnesty International, which was many years ago, I spent the rest of my time continuing to do the same sort of work as a volunteer, and I am currently the chair of an international working group, which was started during the horrific civil war in Sri Lanka. And it’s where it continues today, because although the fighting is over the conflict is not. And, so both of us were volunteers through and through.

 

Interviewer 

Wow.

 

Interviewer 2

How busy are you?

 

Richard Reoch

I even do interviews as a volunteer.

Interviewer

Can you talk a little bit about your experience with FAABI at the celebration of Jane and the Chinese New Year event? 

 

Richard Reoch

Mmm. One of the things that Jane did with her many students to whom she was teaching Tai Chi, whether they were in in person classes or online, was that every Chinese New Year, she would turn that into a special event for them. So first of all, she would ask everyone to wear red: it could be red earrings, red bracelet, a little red ribbon, or, as many people turned up, you know, again almost in completely red outfits, because red is the traditional colour associated with the Chinese New Year. And, on these occasions, Jane would explain what the year was in the Chinese zodiac. She would also say, “Now, if you were born in such and such a year, this means this year is going to be this way for you or that way.” And, at the in person events, she would bring tea, she would bring Chinese sweets and fortune cookies, and just generally have a celebration of the culture out of which this amazing health system has come over the centuries. So after she died, I met with some of her students and I said, “You know, how do you think we could best celebrate what Jane offered to everybody?” I was very keen that people not spend their time going, “Oh, dear, we’ve lost Jane,” because what Jane wanted them to have was the gift that she had given them. And the value of that gift would be recognized by continuing to practise what Jane had taught them. So, we came up with the idea that on the Chinese New Year, which was just a few months after her death, that we would sort of replicate the kind of celebration that Jane had. And these were marvellous events. We had a week in which I think we had at least seven events. They were extraordinarily well attended. And it was a mix of sharing with people, maybe some things they didn’t know about Jane, like some photos, very special photos from China, but also giving all these people the chance to speak from their hearts about their experience of Jane. And in the beginning, I think we were all a little worried that maybe people would be kind of so lost in grief that they might be shy about speaking or worried that they would burst into tears. But, amazingly, somehow there was such a warm and open-hearted environment created by everybody on these calls, that we had no trouble at all filling a full hour  with people saying really amazing things. And I think people’s spirits were actually lifted by these gatherings.

Interviewer

And then I’m sure there are so many, but do you have a specific memory of you and Jane, both volunteering, that has resonated with you a lot over time that you could share with us?

 

Richard Reoch

I think that one of the things that Jane and I were able to do as a couple, and as a partnership, you can say,  is that we sort of supported each other. And so, for example, I used to travel a lot in my work, and Jane might be here in the UK. And while I was away, she would attend to things that would be supportive and helpful to me. And then when she was, for example, in the evenings, when she would come down to teach classes at FAABI, I would be the one who was at home, you know, and she might leave me instructions about when to turn the oven on and this kind of thing for when she’d be home. So there was this kind of mutual interplay of supporting each other. So it wasn’t like, “Oh, those are your volunteering activities. And those are my volunteering activities” – it was like we were a team. And just like any team in a sport, or whatever, the whole team was at play at any one point. That’s a very strong feeling that I have.

 

Interviewer 2

I love thinking about it in that way, that while one person is active, one person is also active, but in a different light in a different way. In the Yin Yang, you’re still contributing, you know?

 

Richard Reoch

I should’ve thrown in some Yin Yang, there, shouldn’t I have?

 

Interviewer 2

That’s fabulous, I think.

Interviewer

How have you seen Jane’s volunteering change throughout the years?

 

Richard Reoch

I think that Jane went through a wonderful process of what you could call a deepening. Deepening in the sense that, often you start off, if you’re teaching them, in this case, a physical exercise, what you’re sort of communicating is all the instructions about, “We move this foot,” or, “Be careful not to shift your weight this way,” and all these sorts of things. So it’s a kind of a technical communication that you’re giving, which would be true for anyone leading an exercise class. And then when you are comfortable with that sort of instruction and giving it and the people that you’re giving it to become more, you could say, proficient or better able to make the movements or at the very least remember the movements, your attention shifts to the whole person, so that what you’re offering them is not just like a technical, physical experience, but something which kind of resonates with a sensitivity in their being. And this is what people who have spoken about their experience of studying with Jane in this last while have really talked about: it’s like how she made them feel as a person, and the change that she brought about. Now, some of the people that she taught had very serious health and mobility issues. Some were stuck in living situations where they were not only alone, but lonely. And a number of them felt sort of uncertain about almost everything in their lives, if I could put it that way. And for good reason, because all the normal supports, especially in their own bodies, had been weakened, or perhaps they were suffering from an injury. And so this sense of warmth, like that they were in a caring bubble, you could say, that was attentive, and to some extent protective of them, made a huge difference in their actual life experience. And that’s what people have spoken about as being so rich, in what Jane offered.

Interviewer

So, with Jane’s Week and the celebration of Jane event, you’ve done so much to commemorate her life. In the future, do you plan on doing anything else to continue with her legacy? Or do you have any other plans for events like these?

 

Richard Reoch

I’m not quite sure what plans I have. But it’s very, very clear that other people are making plans. For example, two of the leisure centres where Jane taught, the general manager’s have already told people that they will be inviting me back –  not to do what Jane did – but, maybe you could say, as a focal point for those people coming together again, and maybe they will be sort of Tai Chi events or something of that sort. And of course, her students haven’t let me go. <laughter> And they’re in touch. And I think maybe, you know, it will be that they will be doing their physical exercise. Jane did wonderful videos, and so they can actually call her up online and do their exercises with her. And that’s just a wonderful thing, right, of the age in which we now live. So, they’ve got Jane. They won’t lose that if they maintain the inspiration, and maybe the discipline, you know, to keep exercising. So maybe my role will be to sort of be part of the community glue that sort of helps them and supports them come together. And I’ll be happy to do that. I mean, sometimes after a person dies, the things that they have created, or the human connections that they have made, sort of tend to – I mean, it’s quite natural – fall apart. And that may well happen over time. But, we are definitely not at that point now. In fact, in some way, the ability to come together and to celebrate Jane has, if anything, strengthened the feeling among these people that they have this treasure in common and that treasure is twofold. it’s the actual art that they studied. And they learned under an extraordinarily competent teacher. And this kind of energetic support system – kind of invisible glue – you know, that that held them together, and they want to honour that too.

 

Interviewer

And then from someone who has – you’ve devoted so much of your life to volunteering – do you have any advice or words of wisdom for people who want to start volunteering or who have just started their journey?

 

Richard Reoch

Ahh. I think sometimes people are a little nervous about volunteering because in a way, you’re making a commitment to an organisation. You’re making a commitment to people that you don’t yet know and you don’t know how it will work out. And so, sometimes people do contact me for my advice about, you know, volunteering, and when I always try to say as well, “See what you’re interested in doing because if you’re interested in the cause, or the problem that the organisation is going to address, then you’ll already start  off with some sort of common ground.” And also, I would say, “Be open minded because just because everybody else who’s volunteering is volunteering for the same cause or support network that you are, it doesn’t mean that it’s going to be an ideal situation for you. I mean, people disagree about things, people have different approaches to doing the same task and supporting an organisation. So don’t be afraid to experiment. And don’t feel if your first efforts don’t have worked out perfectly the way you want to, that somehow you’re a failure, or that volunteering is a failure. They approach it I would say, as a journey, or an adventure. And if your motivation is very clear that, you know, you’re putting others first and that’s what you’re offering to the world or to your community, then, in my experience, eventually, you will settle on something where you can make a really meaningful contribution. You’ll work well with the others who are like minded. And you will bring about much needed change in the lives of other people.”

Interviewer

And then just lastly, wrapping up, is there anything else you’d like to share about yourself in particular, or about volunteering that you haven’t mentioned, that you feel should be out there?

 

Richard Reoch

You know, sometimes when we hear the word volunteering, we think of it as a sort of unusual activity, as if the majority of life and all the life support systems that we have in our societies are all based on paid work. That’s not true. Actually, how has humanity got here? And how are we actually all able to function together? It’s because, for a start, parenting is a voluntary activity. Maintaining a home is a voluntary activity. Getting organised as a community is a voluntary activity. I would say that more than half – perhaps much more – of human activity is all carried out by volunteers. And when I say by volunteers, I don’t mean volunteers who are doing a job and not getting paid. But people who are motivated by doing what’s most important, what’s most satisfying, what’s obviously most necessary to help others. And this quality is what makes human beings so extraordinary as social beings. When many creatures on our Earth are born within a very, very short period, they are adults. Like, when we see on a nature film how a baby horse is born, and, within a matter of days, this horse is up and running, right? But, look at the length of time it takes to go from being a newborn baby to even a child who is ready to go to school, and what is going on in that period. That is a period in which the human being is learning to be a social animal. So we’re actually constructed to be social creatures, and what is the most obvious form of being a social creature? It’s being a volunteer. So, I think that’s all obvious. And I think we should be out there changing the narrative, so that people stop thinking that volunteers are some kind of inferior people, because they’re not getting a paycheck. It’s not about superiority or inferiority at all. It’s about the essence of being a human being.

 

Interviewer 2

Oh, that was so well said.

 

Interviewer

That’s such a great note to end on.