My Journey with Sanctuary Trust began after the covid lockdown ended in November 2020.
I had spent lockdown bored and depressed like a lot of other people and spent a lot of time considering my options for when lockdown was over. I decided to email John Wigley to ask if I could volunteer in the Sanctuary Storehouse through the Pass It on Scheme, John put me in contact with the Volunteer Co-ordinator Angi Howarth, who signed me up as a full-time volunteer.
I spent 2 years Volunteering with an amazing team of Richard and Angi as well as several other volunteers. During this time I was able to work on my personal and professional development with the support of Angie and Sanctuary Trust, I was given responsibility for the storage area of the shop as well as supporting Angie’s Angels, I thrived off the responsibility and tried to give 100 percent to my role, during my time Volunteering I realised I was fairly good at helping other volunteers overcome their personal barriers so I would have new and existing volunteers working with me so I could encourage them and share my personal experiences with them in the hope that they could grow personally and professionally all the while this was helping me to grow into a better professional and person.
I have been interested in working in the Homelessness sector for a number of years prior to volunteering but needed support to gain the skills necessary to obtain a paid role, I gradually gained the skills thanks to Angi supporting me throughout my time as a volunteer including becoming the crisis support worked in the Reaching Out Centre Community Café, which gave me invaluable experience, then one morning Angi sent me an email which was a job opportunity for a trainee position working for Shelter but based within the Changing Futures team at the Reaching Out Centre, I was amazed when I read the person spec as I felt this role would be a perfect opportunity for me to progress my career in the homelessness sector whilst also been able to work and learn from Tony McManus and the other members of the team. I applied for the role in September 2022 and soon after I applied I began to doubt myself and came close to withdrawing my application, thankfully Tony and Angie were there to offer some advice and reassurance, so I continued with the application process and was shortlisted soon after, then came the interview, I was very nervous as it was a 3 stage interview which I had never done before, I was contacted 3 days later to be told I had been successful and this position was mine, I was overjoyed and relieved that I had finally got a job that I knew I would enjoy and would get a lot more training. I am now 4 weeks into my new role, and I am so happy, my knowledge is increasing each day, I get to work with a team who want to support me to succeed, and I still get to work at Sanctuary Trust, so one thing to take from this is everyone can succeed in life, you just have to reach out ask for an opportunity and then use the knowledge and support that is around you to grow.
Thank you to all at Sanctuary Trust for believing in me and allowing me the opportunity to develop myself into a professional. And a huge thank you to Angie Howarth, without your support I would still be an angry young man who struggled in difficult situations and lacked the confidence to progress with life, I am now full of confidence and am able to deal with any situation that arises in a professional manner.
Pass It on Scheme was an essential part of my journey and I hope this will be the case for many more volunteers in the years to come
Y was found rough sleeping by RSI and accepted into Halsall House in summer 2021 due to being homeless in Rochdale with no local connection. He stayed in Halsall house receiving support and staying drug free for several months. He completed “The Way Out” course alongside Narcotics Anonymous meetings and was doing well. Around November
My Journey with Sanctuary Trust began after the covid lockdown ended in November 2020. I had spent lockdown bored and depressed like a lot of other people and spent a lot of time considering my options for when lockdown was over. I decided to email John Wigley to ask if I could volunteer in the
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