Volunteering is an intrinsic part of life at Caritas Anchor House, and indeed, across the country. In 2017/18, 20.1 million (38%) people in the UK volunteered formally at least once a year and 11.8 million (22%) of people did so at least once a month.

At Caritas Anchor House, not only do we offer a range of volunteering opportunity for our residents, but we are also delighted to have the support of a number of volunteers from the community.

Naomi, our Volunteer Coordinator, said “For our residents, it’s important that they are able to gain experience relevant to their career ambitions. It’s also key in providing opportunities to boost confidence, grow their networks of support, and use their time meaningfully.”

In the year ending 31st March 2019, our residents carried out 614 volunteering sessions which together amounts to 1,399 hours. These range from meeting potential new residents, providing tours to guests and speaking to them about experiences, supporting the kitchen or maintenance teams, to collecting surplus foods from local partners.

Simon*, who recently volunteered at our May Day BBQ, said, “I really enjoyed cooking on the BBQ. I am a good chef and it was a chance to let others try my food, and show other residents something they probably didn’t know about me!”

We are also incredibly grateful to the many people who volunteer their time and skills to support Caritas Anchor House and those that call it home. From the staff from Clifford Chance who support residents with their reading and writing, Hope Church and Nurture Academy who provide hair-cuts and teach barbering skills, Saul Perryman who teaches residents photography skills, beauticians from Bon Bon Beauty who offer manicures to residents, NBC volunteers who recently hosted a fun-day for residents, and Grianne who regularly collects surplus food from supermarkets that is used to provide meals.

There are so many more than we cannot name them all, but please know that we truly do value your support.

If you are interested in volunteering for CAH please email volunteering@caritasanchorhouse.org.uk, and to hear about any upcoming opportunities you can sign up for our newsletter here