Category: Success Stories

We go “Down The Rabbit Hole” with Anita

Recently, Clara and Christine from our Community Team travelled to Bromborough to meet up with Anita after she told them she had a new job.

We entered Down the Rabbit Hole to see a riot of colour and an eclectic mix of gifts and artwork on sale. First things first, we get our personal tour of the shop from Anita. After grabbing our seats, coffee in hand, we asked Anita if she wouldn’t mind answering a few questions about her work at Down the Rabbit Hole and if she had any advice for other people thinking about volunteering.

Anita takes a minute to pose for us while at work.

So, Anita thank you for meeting up with us to talk about your new role. Can you tell us a bit about Down the Rabbit Hole?

Down the Rabbit Hole is a gift shop. It’s quite unusual and quirky and it has lots of unique gifts and second-hand clothes, bags and shoes. It’s part of Phab Club which is a place where people can go and get involved in lots of different activities. There’s lots of Phab Clubs up and down the country, but I go to two different clubs on the Wirral.

On a Wednesday night I go to one in Pensby. Some of the activities we do there include taekwondo, Zumba, quizzes and we have a news corner where members say what they have done throughout the week. They also have another community hub in New Ferry which has a furniture shop a second-hand clothes shop and a food shop. I go here to do my drumming lessons on a Tuesday from 1:30 to 2:30pm. I have been going to Phab Club for quite a long time now and I have met lots of great people here.

It sounds like a great place to get involved with. How did you find out about the shop and when did you start volunteering here?

I was on holiday with Phab Club in Bendrigg and while I was there, I spoke to Lorna who works for Phab Club. She told me about the shop, and I told her that I had been thinking about volunteering and had some availability during the week if she wanted me to come down and help in the shop.

After I came back off the holiday, I started volunteering there the following Monday. It’s now been about 3 months since I started and I’m loving it.

Have you learnt any new skills since you started in your job?

I’ve learnt lots of new things since I started. I’ve been learning how to make lattes, and something called Bubble Tea which uses cold tea with extra flavours like strawberry and cherry.

It seems like you’ve learnt lots in such a short space of time. What are some of your other jobs?

There’s a bit of general cleaning duties like washing up and making sure the shop stays lovely and clean. I’ve also been trying to build up my skills using the electronic till. I’m still trying to get the hang of it, but I’m going to keep practicing.

I also serve the drinks and cakes that we have in the shop and there is a seating area at the back where people can sit, and I can bring over their orders.

What advice would you give to someone else who is thinking of volunteering or getting a paid job?

Go for it! It gets you out there, meeting new people and learning new skills.

Down the Rabbit Hole is a community focused non-profit shop selling unique and wonderful gifts for all occasions. Located on Bromborough Village Road in the Wirral.

“We would encourage anyone to go take a look as we came away with some great gift ideas.”

(Clara Preston & Christine Bithell)

November 14, 2022
Dennis’ Volunteering Advice

Dennis talks about his volunteering journey and his advice for anyone thinking about getting a voluntary job.

Dennis at Inspire Community Cafe.

At Options, our vision for the future is ‘a better world where people with disabilities contribute as unique and valued members of dynamic and inclusive communities’. In line with our vision, we believe that people with learning disabilities should have the same chance to contribute to their communities through voluntary or paid employment as everybody else.

Recently, our Inclusion Coordinator Clara met up with Dennis (who is supported by Options) to hear all about his volunteering journey. Clara sat down with Dennis at the Inspire Community Cafe in Wallasey – where Dennis volunteers – for a cup of tea and chat. Here’s what Clara asked Dennis:

When did you start volunteering?

I was one of the first volunteers to work at the Inspire Community Cafe, and have been here for around 4 years.

What does your role involve?

The first thing I do at the beginning of a shift is to make sure the kitchen is well-ventilated. I then make sure the cafe is clean and the washing up is done. At the end of the day, I help to wash the coffee machine to make sure it’s ready for the next day. I also help to look after a vegetable patch outside of the cafe.

During lockdown, me and my colleagues made up hundreds of meals for the local community, for people who needed them the most. This made me feel really proud, giving back to my community is very important to me.

How did you find out about the cafe and the voluntary job?

I think I heard about the cafe through one of my support staff, and then visited to see what I thought. After having a lot of different jobs in the past, I had a lot of experience and understood what would be expected of me in my voluntary role. I fitted right in and love working at the cafe!

What skills have you gained from volunteering at the cafe?

Volunteering has improved my confidence and my independence. I really enjoy chatting with regular and new customers. Some people really appreciate having a good conversation with me, because they don’t get to see a lot of people outside of the cafe. I have great relationships with the other people who work at the cafe.

What advice would you give somebody who’s thinking about getting a voluntary job?

My advice to people is to just get out there and try lots of different things until you figure out what you enjoy. Another top tip is to always go and see what a place is like before deciding if you want to volunteer there.

Dennis contributes to the cafe and his local community in many ways and is a valued member of the Inspire team. We want to say a huge thank you to Dennis for taking the time to sit down with us. We hope this story inspires others and shows how contributing to our communities can create an enormous sense of well-being – both for ourselves and for others around us!

December 20, 2021
Staying Connected – Zoom Parties

Christine, our Community Engagement and Development Manager, wants to share how our weekly Zoom parties have helped stay connected us all as we face the coronavirus pandemic.

We all know that 2020 has pushed us outside of our comfort zones, we have missed parties, holidays and our usual routines. We have missed seeing the people we love and spending time doing the things which make us happy.

Here at Options, we support to empower and enable people to live their lives to the full and we work towards a better world for people with disabilities. So when the world locked down and online video calls took off, we felt it was important to support people to do do that too.

On Friday 15^th May, Options had our first intro to using and hosting a Zoom party. People logged on for the first time and we went over what Zoom was, how it worked, and how to stay safe. There was a lot to learn, not only about the new tech but the new social etiquette and language involved in meeting online. Danielle, Options’ Health Volunteer, wrote some quiz questions for the next week and we waited patiently to see how it would pan out.

Over twenty weeks later and we are still having a blast, many people use this time to see their family, others use it as a time to catch up with their friends who that don’t get to see as much. Each week someone writes their own round for the quiz! We have come up with a format that works for us – seven questions with answers, option A and B, and different hosts for each week who read out the questions. Some of our quiz rounds have been general knowledge, sport and music. But after Alan kept getting EVERY question right we had to try some more specialised quiz rounds, Craig’s ‘transport’ round has to be one of my favourites when he asked us a question about his favourite ferry.

Each week it has been a pleasure to see everyone stepping outside of their comfort zone, growing in confidence each time they host a quiz round and leading the group. It has also been amazing to see how support workers and families have gone above and beyond to support someone to host a quiz round in a person-centred way. I hope we can continue to include technology to support people to be part of their communities, keep in touch with friends and family and be part of a tech-savvy future.

If you’d like to join, we hold a Zoom party every Friday at 1pm! There is an Easy Read document that you can find on the left that will explain how to join.

October 2, 2020