happy volunteers’ week!
To all of our wonderful volunteers, past and present - thank you!
It’s Volunteers’ Week; an annual celebration of the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering in their communities.
We want to say a huge thank you to our fantastic volunteers and shout about the invaluable contributions they make to our community. We’re so grateful for their support and help in creating a safe space for women to explore and improve their physical and mental wellbeing. We couldn’t do it without them.
And who better to tell you about volunteering than our wonderful volunteers themselves! We asked why they support The Bridge and what they love most about it. Hear from them below and find out more about the impact that they’ve had on our community…
Thank you Rokia!
Rokia volunteers for our FRIDGE project. Each week, she helps us to collect our food donations from shops in the local area and sort, label and pack away food items ready for people to collect the next day.
Since the start of the year, FRIDGE has provided the equivalent of 9,180 meals to our community for free from surplus food donations. We’ve also been donated and given out over 2,000 cosmetic and toiletry products from LUSH, Paula’s Choice and The Hilton.
Why do you volunteer at The Bridge?
“Because it is a great way to fulfil my free time and help the community.”
What do you enjoy most about volunteering?
“It is something that I really like it as it is a great way to meet new people. It strengthens my ties to the community and broadens my support network and exposing me to people with common interest.”
A FRIDGE user said; “Absolutely fantastic service, supporting zero waste. So helpful to find affordable delicious food to feed our family. Friendly/welcome atmosphere. Really much appreciated. Please keep it going. Thank you.”
Thank you Pam!
Pam volunteers at our HUB project, delivering a free ‘Mindful Movement’ class once a month which provides a space to learn gentle mindful movement practices. The class offers a space to learn tools that help calm our body and mind, and manage our own mental health and overall wellbeing.
Why do you volunteer at The Bridge?
“I feel really fortunate to support the mission and vision of The Bridge. I believe the projects run by The Bridge are an invaluable support for women in the community. This organisation provides both the space and accessibility for women to come together, interact and support their and each other's wellbeing -a vital service to help the mental health of the community.”
What do you enjoy most about volunteering?
“I enjoy guiding people to connect their body, mind and breath through movement, and sharing practices that empower us to support our overall health and wellbeing. Delivering this class in a women's focused group actually offers a safe place to just be yourself and that allows for a greater connection between the group.”
Follow Pam on Instagram (@sealight.life) to find out more about her work around mindfulness and activity.
A participant said; “The mindful movement session are a relaxing way to gently release and shake off any tension we are holding onto, carving space for us to bring in more positive energy into our lives. Pamila makes the sessions fun and interesting by getting us to use our imagination with the exercises, connecting them to animals and nature, making us feel grounded.”
Thank you Steff!
Steff, from Youreka Coaching, volunteers at our HUB project by delivering free breathwork sessions every Wednesday morning. With a combination of theory and practice, she guides us to enhance our awareness of our breath and learn practices to use every day to help reduce stress and anxiety, and increase energy.
Why do you volunteer at The Bridge?
“I have worked with people all around the world in exchanging stress, exhaustion, and sleepless nights for high levels of energy, creativity, and positive solution-based thinking. With my experience, I offer an inclusive and accessible opportunity for women to feel instant relief through the universally acknowledged power of breath. Women learn and practise transferable skills that they can use in all aspects of their life to keep themselves balanced and nurtured.”
What do you enjoy most about volunteering?
“The Bridge is a wonderful community space that has given me the opportunity to share my skills and experiences with their community. I enjoy volunteering at The Bridge as the team is always very helpful and supports me in running such beautiful breathing sessions. In my time volunteering here, I have met new people and even made friends. I feel incredibly honoured to be in the space and can highly recommend volunteering here to anyone!”
A participant said; “Thank you Steff! Your breathwork session is the perfect way to start a busy Wednesday. It’s always such a calm and gentle session, and you explain everything so clearly. I love coming along every week.”
Thank you Mott MacDonald!
Mott MacDonald employees volunteer at our DINE project, helping to set up the café for our supper club and hosting tables throughout the evening - welcoming guests, taking orders, making drinks, cleaning tables, washing up and more! They always have a smile on their face and make sure our DINERs have the best time possible.
We’ve met lots of wonderful people volunteering their time from Mott Mac. Here’s what a few of them had to say about DINE;
Niall Hubbard: ‘Stimulating, enjoyable and rewarding. A pleasure to help such a well thought out initiative”
Chi Tao Lam: “The experience was really interesting. This is a very good opportunity for Motts people to contribute to the community while having a relaxing setting and venue to be working in another team.”
Kehinde Akindele: “I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of catering for people to support charity. It was a fun night, met some lovely people and gained a new skill”
Alex Binteris: “Great experience. [The] Bridge’s team was very helpful and fun to work with. It was really nice to meet other Mott employees. Definitely recommend!”
A DINER said; “I just wanted to pass on my thanks and appreciation for the DINE evening. I not only loved the food but the atmosphere you all created. It felt so warm and welcoming, more so than any restaurant. I really enjoyed it so thank you to everyone who was involved.”
Thank you Poppy!
Poppy (@stitchesbypops) volunteers at our HUB project, running a free crochet club twice a month. She teaches us all about the basics of crochet and helps people with their projects - alongside a cup of tea and lovely chat!
Why do you volunteer at The Bridge?
“I volunteer because I love to share my craft and there is a big demand for it! Teaching myself how to crochet changed my life and was made easier by the fact my mum taught me to knit and sew as a child - traditionally speaking these kinds of skills have often been passed down between generations of women in a family, so I find volunteering really rewarding as a way to share my skills with people who haven’t encountered these crafts earlier in life or who are looking to improve on what they know already! It’s also been great to feel useful to other women looking to start their own small businesses by sharing my experiences”
What do you enjoy most about volunteering?
“I think my favourite aspect of teaching crochet is being able to enjoy a feeling of community with all the women who attend. We have both new and familiar faces every week but the atmosphere created at The Bridge is so positive and welcoming, I always find myself really looking forward to coming in & seeing everyone for a chat, and in turn coming to volunteer has really improved my confidence!”
A participant said; “The crochet club gives me time to connect with the community, be present and helps to reduce stress. Thank you Poppy!”
Want to get involved with volunteering at The Bridge? We’d love to hear from you!
Check out our volunteer page to find out what roles we’re looking for at the moment or get in touch with our Programmes Team at projects@thebridge-uk.org.