Meet Rebecca, one of The Bridge volunteers

Volunteers are the driving force behind our local foodbanks and our new community space, The Bridge. We spoke to Rebecca, a regular volunteer at The Bridge, about her experience of volunteering in our local community.

Q. What inspired you to volunteer at The Bridge?

A couple of years ago, my friend volunteered for the Walton & Hersham Foodbank when he was made redundant from his job, and he told me about all the positive things they are doing. It made me want to get involved.

I am passionate about helping at The Bridge. We get a lot of young families referred to us so, as a mum, it’s lovely to share parenting tips with each other. I also feel like The Bridge gives families more choice and control during, what can be, a difficult time.

Q. Why do you make time to volunteer?

I am currently on a sabbatical from work. I’ve taken a break from a stressful job in London to spend more time with my family. During that time, I wanted to give some structure and meaning to my time off and I also want to give back to my local community.

While I’m primarily based at The Bridge, I also help the Walton & Hersham Foodbank at St. Johns Church when they need extra help.

Q. Tell me more about the people you meet while volunteering

Mostly our clients want a safe and confidential space to talk to someone about the issues they are facing. More and more people who never thought they would need to use a foodbank are finding themselves relying on one. Many people and families rely entirely on the food they collect and cannot afford to top it up with anything else.

Q. What about the families you meet at The Bridge?

The cost-of-living crisis has hit everyone and some people that would otherwise never have turned to a charity for help are being referred to us. For example, some of our clients are self-employed and some are on maternity leave. Without a regular income, they can’t afford to buy food.

Some of the people who come here are working long hours in professional roles and are taking on more hours to earn money, but their wages still don’t cover the bills coming in.

We often see families with older children who can’t afford to move out, so in effect they have six adults in the house to feed. One client said, “I’ve worked all my life and never thought I would be in this position”.

We are here to provide a listening ear and practical support for everyone who is referred to us. It’s lovely to see some of the parents attend yoga sessions that we now offer at The Bridge. It’s a chance for them to take time out and relax. Our lovely yoga teacher, Hanna, volunteers so it’s free of charge.

Q. How does The Bridge work?

Families are referred to us by local organisations and we commit to supporting them for a period of 12 weeks. During that time, they can come to The Bridge on a fortnightly basis for food and other support. By the end of the 12-weeks we hope they feel confident knowing who to go to for specialist support (eg, debt advice) and feel ready to take the next steps towards getting back on their feet. Organisations like Citizens Advice, Lifelong Learning and Spurgeons also hold regular support sessions at The Bridge which is really helpful.

If you would like to find out more about volunteering at the foodbank or The Bridge, please email Walton & Hersham Foodbank info@waltonhersham.foodbank.org.uk.