Volunteers Making a Difference
To celebrate Trustees Week 2020 on the 2nd – 6th November we would like to thank and highlight the extraordinary work that has been done during the coronavirus crisis, and how Trustees supported that in the borough. Thank you to all the volunteers who been helping out in the borough and especially during this difficult time.
Paul Fromosa
Paul Formosa is a Trustee for Centre 404, a local charity that support people living with learning disabilities by providing housing, family support, and leisure activities. He was named Islington Trustee of the Year 2019.
Here is a snippet of what Paul does as a Trustee.
“I have been a Trustee at Centre 404 for over 10 years. My job is to make sure the organisation is well run, taking an overview of decisions and getting together a strategic framework for the charity to operate within. As well, trustees are on hand to help out when problems emerge or important changes need to be decided. But, the most important thing about it is that we are entrusted with responsibility for the organisation and all the people we care for. Read more about Paul here
Bridget Pavitt
Bridget Pavitt is a Trustee at Sunnyside Community Gardens, which was set up about 40 years ago when the area was being re-developed and local residents had campaigned for more green space. She was a volunteer at the gardens for about a year before being invited to become a Trustee.
Her advice if you are thinking about becoming a Trustee is: “Don’t be nervous! It can be great fun and very fulfilling. Be organised and the time commitment is very manageable.” Read more about Bridget here
Khadim Mane
Khadim Mane is a Trustee for Mildmay Community Centre. He got involved with the centre because he wanted to give something back to his community.
“I run some community events through my other work, including organising a festival, I also live nearby and want to be part of my community. When I met some of the team at Mildmay we connected well and I was given the opportunity to be a trustee, which I was happy to do.” Read more about Khadim here.
Valerie Bossman-Quarshie
Valerie Bossman-Quarshie is a Trustee of Highbury Vale Blackstock Trust, the charity that owns and manages Elizabeth House Community Centre, which provides various services to the local community. She have been both a user and a provider of some of the services provided at the centre.
“I would like to tell anyone out there contemplating to become a Trustee… please go for it as we all have so much to give and it is all the small things we do that will give others the confidence and belief for a brighter society and a beautiful, better world.”
Read more about Valerie here.
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To celebrate Volunteers Week 2020, we would like to thank and highlight the great work volunteers have been doing in Islington. Thank you to all the volunteers who been helping out in the borough and especially during this difficult time.
Octopus Communities is a network of multi-purpose community centres in Islington. Volunteers are a hugely important part of this network and they help with so many different types of community work, such as delivering food parcels, shopping for members, food hub projects, packing food parcels, collecting donations, befriending and much more. Megan, Wendy, Patrice, Robin, Claire and Christina are 6 of just a few amazing volunteers from across the community centres in the network who have told their inspirationals stories here.
In addition to the great work from Octopus Communities, there has been a bunch of outstanding volunteering efforts throughout the community. Annabelle has been volunteering at Centre404 which includes creating thank you packages for frontline workers, food shopping and phoning people who may be feeling isolated and alone. Nia has been volunteering at Hornsey Lane Estate Community Centre and is now one of the leading coordinators for emergency food bank . Paul and Simren have been volunteering at Help on Your Doorstep to shopping for people who can’t leave their home and worked as a telephone befriender, speaking to people on a regular basis. Gabriella has been volunteering at Manor Gardens Welfare Trust and involved in the emergency food distribution which packs up 200 food parcels each week for local residents in need. Charity has been volunteering at Positively UK to supports people through all stages of diagnosis, offering peer support. She also works as a workshop facilitator and creative lead for Catwalk4Power, a peer support, arts empowerment and wellbeing project. You can read their inspirational stories here
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