Thank You To Our Amazing Volunteers

We are forever grateful for our volunteers, and every day we thank them for the work they do to support some of our community’s most vulnerable.

Last week was Volunteers week (1 - 7 June) and an opportunity for us to formally thank our all volunteers.

After two years of restrictions on events, this year we were able to celebrate our volunteers over an afternoon tea, presenting them with certificates of thanks and gifts; these gifts were all the more special as they were hand-made by one of our former clients – no mean feat when we have nearly 60 volunteers!

Now we are in our new home at 32 Castle Foregate, and restrictions have been lifted, our volunteers are regularly cooking up breakfasts and lunches for around 50 people each day; in April, our volunteers supported 115 people who regularly use our services, and we welcomed a further 22 people who hadn’t previously used our services.

The number of daily visits vary, but in total, we welcomed over 800 people through our doors, where as well as having hot meals, they can access hot showers, laundry, internet, and join in creative activities.

We also offer medical and other support services; in April we held the following:

· Riverside Medical Practice (RMP) held 20 GP appointments for clients in our dedicated medical room,

· SALUTE delivered 7 individual trauma intervention sessions

· 7 counselling sessions

· in partnership with The Hepatitis C Trust, clients were tested for hepatitis; if anyone tests positive, we support them with their ongoing treatment

· a Heptology Clinic with Sister Jeannie Williams from Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust

Plus, our team made over 70 calls to Housing Options, and staff attended over 30 professional meetings such as HOST homeless outreach street triage, Patient MDTs', MDT's (Multi Disciplinary Team), Adult Exploitation Pathway and more.

Our volunteer outreach team, has been braving all weathers to check on rough sleepers by offering support, hot drinks, toiletries, advice and importantly, ensuring everyone knows how to access our services. They also ensure those who have moved into their own accommodation are safe and well, and are fully supported as they adjust to living in their own home. Between November 2021 and April this year our outreach team supported 16 individuals into their own home.

If you walk a little further into town, the volunteers in our shop work hard to ensure donated items are correctly sorted and priced, and they welcome you with a warm smile.

Volunteering and Shrewsbury Ark

As a proud recipient of the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, volunteers are at the very heart of what we do. We are a charity run by a board of volunteer Trustees, and whose services are provided through the crucial work of a community of dedicated volunteers.

If you are interested in volunteering with us, we offer training and have a huge variety of roles helping in the day centre and working with the outreach team; roles may include supporting someone in their home, assisting in our kitchen, lending an ear to clients, coordinating activities such as football, helping clients garden in our allotment or running creative activities. And of course, assisting in our charity shop.

The Hollywood A-lister Morgan Freeman said: ‘Was I always going to be here? No, I was not. I was going to be homeless at one time, a taxi driver, truck driver, or any kind of job that would get me a crust of bread. You never know what's going to happen.’

None of us know what’s going to happen; that’s why we are here to help those whose life has thrown unexpected challenges, and they’ve found themselves in need of help and support.

In some cases, homelessness is preventable but, in every case, it can be ended.

If you would like to volunteer for us at Shrewsbury Ark don’t hesitate to get in touch! You can email us at volunteer@shrewsburyark.co.uk or telephone us via 01743 363305 to register an interest.

If you’re concerned about someone sleeping rough, let us know about rough sleepers in your area via Streetlink on 0300 500 0914 or online at www.streetlink.org.uk. We will action your report, locating the person of concern, helping them to get off the streets as soon as possible and keeping in regular contact to make sure they don’t end up sleeping roug