Volunteers' Week is officially upon us! As we've mentioned in previous posts, we are celebrating the week by writing a series of spotlight stories on local organisations - highlighting the diversity of volunteer involving organisations, volunteering opportunities and volunteers themselves. On day one, we are shining a light on the fantastic work happening at Bridges for Communities. 

There are several exciting projects ongoing at the busy charity, and we'll be taking a look at a few of the most celebrated. Many of the opportunities provide flexibility in how much time you feel able to offer, making this charity a great option if you're interested in volunteering but are limited in your availability.  

Bridges for Communities is all about making Bristol a more welcoming and inclusive city where people of different backgrounds live well together. One strand of their work is their Task Volunteering, a volunteering programme which recently became one year old. Within this project, volunteers are able to pick up one-off support tasks, making it a great fit for those with busy schedules but who want to help make a difference in the day to day lives of people in their local area, some of whom may have only recently moved there. Holly Taylor, Task Volunteers Coordinator, said: 

"We are really proud to have launched our new Task Volunteering role [In March 2022]. Volunteers provide support to families from refugee backgrounds, helping them learn how to carry out both unique and everyday tasks in their new environment so that they can become independent in the future. Task volunteering is a great opportunity for volunteers to get involved with their local community, by getting to know families and other volunteers in their area. It is lovely to see welcoming communities and new friendships blossom." 

The task volunteer hubs work in partnership with the Bristol City Council Resettlement Scheme.  

"Our team has really benefited from having volunteers to help our clients with tasks which support workers don't have capacity to complete. It's a great opportunity for clients to meet someone new, practise their English and learn how to complete tasks themselves with the help of the volunteers." - Support Worker, Resettlement Scheme 

"I just wanted to feedback how amazing one of your task volunteers has been. Matt has picked up two tasks that I have added for a family. One was building a shed and the other was helping to link the TV and broadband, both which he completed successfully. This has made a huge difference to the family and they speak very highly of him." - Support Worker, Resettlement Scheme 

Perhaps the most striking testimonial comes from Task Volunteer Steve. You can hear Steve share his experiences here.  

Another project run by Bridges for Communities is Stitching Together, which provides a space for refugee and asylum-seeking women in Bristol to be creative, offering a range of sewing opportunities (from hand-sewing to dressmaking!).  Currently, they run dressmaking classes for refugee and asylum-seeking women at Easton Family Centre on Fridays, and a weekly hand-sewing class at their partner organisation Borderlands on Wednesdays. They are currently working on a partnership project with the Arnolfini which will see the ladies work in the gallery this summer.  You can find further details of Stitching Together here.

Dan Morrice at Bridges for Communities said: 

"We'd like to say a massive thank you to all our volunteers who give their time and energy to supporting and befriending refugees and asylum seekers in Bristol, as well as those who support our Peace Feasts, Welcome Events and other programmes. The difference you make by showing a little love is immeasurable.  

If you're interested in joining us, we have many programmes to suit different interests and time scales. Check out https://www.bridgesforcommunities.com/get-involved/volunteer/ to discover the best project for you."