Options logo with strapline

0151 236 0855

Donate
Options logo with strapline
Donate

Category: Success Stories

  • Dennis’ Volunteering Advice

    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!

  • Staying Connected – Zoom Parties

    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 15th 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.