Volunteer’s Week: How Ann Has Spent 200 Hours Volunteering to Help End Child Bed Poverty
This Volunteer’s Week we’re celebrating the fantastic dedication shown from volunteers, that we simply couldn’t operate without. We sat down with Ann, one of our long-standing volunteers to hear more about her experiences and why being a part of something bigger than herself makes her tick.
How Ann Found Zarach and Began Volunteering
“I first heard about Zarach on the radio”, says Ann. “Zarach’s founder, Bex, lived next door to my friend and I’d seen her a couple of times at Park Run. We went for a coffee, and that was that, it was just meant to be.”
Around 3 years ago, Ann was giving up work as a Family Support Worker, and knew she wanted to do something voluntary. She began volunteering at a food club, hosted by Zarach to support families in LS9. Each week, Ann would help with the setup and serving of fridge and cupboard essentials for families struggling to make ends meet. “I did Food Club for about 2 years, and that was amazing. It had been right at the time, with lots of families feeling the cost of living crisis during and after the pandemic, but Zarach is a children’s bed charity and it was important that we moved to focus on beds. I was really happy to change roles at Zarach, I just wanted to make sure there was something here for me.”
Supporting Families Through Zarach’s Work
Every child referred to Zarach receives a brand new bed bundle, including a bed frame, mattress, duvet, pillow, bed sheets and pyjamas. Now in our permanent home, a warehouse affectionately named the ZedShed houses our stock of all the sleep essentials. “My role now is to bring everything together that has been requested by the Family Engagement team during their home visit. Before the beds are sent out for delivery, I pull together each bundle. It’s repetitive but extremely satisfying – as I’m choosing their pyjamas, I always imagine their faces opening the bag and getting their pair.”
Being Part of the Mission
Zarach will celebrate its 8th birthday in August this year, and as a charity with a big mission, to end child bed poverty, we’re extremely lucky to have such dedicated volunteers who believe in that mission, and help us progress one bed at a time. “I know there’s so much going on, and I love the feeling of being even just a small cog in that big wheel. There’s always so much going on, from the teams and volunteers working in the office, to the practical and physical side of delivering the beds – I love that the role I play means that all of that work can keep happening.”
Why Zarach Is a Great Place to Volunteer
“Zarach is an amazing place to volunteer, because the simplicity of what we’re doing makes it easy. We know the need, Zarach is doing what it needs to do to cater for that need, and I can slot in easily to that. The people here are so friendly and welcoming and I’ve always felt supported with the right instructions, so if you come in and you’re not confident, or you’ve never volunteered before, this is a great place to come. I think it’s such a nurturing organisation, for the families they support, for each other, for volunteers and staff.”
Ann’s Impact and 200 Hours of Volunteering
Ann recently surpassed 200 hours of volunteering with Zarach, in just 3 years; an incredible contribution to helping us on our mission to end child bed poverty. Together we can #endchildbedpoverty.
