Christine, 56, from Manchester, volunteers with Mustard Tree.
I volunteer on the helpdesk at Mustard Tree Ancoats. I answer lots of phone calls from people who want to donate furniture and other items to the charity. People call to see what stock items we have and what items they can get for their new homes. I also answer calls from people who want to know what services we provide, and questions about the Food Club - it's a first port of call for Mustard Tree in many ways.
I started in January 2022 and it has flown by! I've been on helpdesk for around 12 months now - before that I volunteered on the Food Club, after volunteering in the Covid-19 vaccination centres.
I came to an open day with my husband, who has donated to Mustard Tree for quite some time. I had a walkaround with Laura who was amazing and I said I wanted to do something every week. I’d previously helped at the Covid vaccination centre.
I’d come to the point where I’d ran my own business for a long time on my own at home. I wanted to do something that could get me out I could afford to come and do something within Manchester – it’s been good to me as a city. Mustard Tree to me is a Manchester charity, rather than a national charity with a Manchester office – just to give a little bit back to my city. It’s lovely to come into Ancoats and be part of the city. All the businesses around here help Mustard Tree.
I love chatting to the people who come in, sitting and having lunch with them. I met Denise recently and had a good chat about her life. Volunteering has given me a completely new sense of purpose. If I could come every day I would. I always come home – I’m always shattered but it always feels like I’ve done something good. Makes me feel warm inside.
If you’re thinking about volunteering, I would say Just come! Come to an open day. Have chats, maybe just do half a day and you’ll soon find that you will love it. Test the water – people talk about volunteering saying ‘I should do this’, but put it off – just do it.
I think the biggest memory I’ve got was on the Food Club. We were just coming out of Covid, so it was an over the counter service. People could choose what they wanted but we had to get it for them. One mum and her children came in and it was a joy to be able to help them, and that they could take their time - she so grateful for the facility. There was a couple who came to Food Club and got their items together. They were nervous about coming in, but with the sense of achievement they had after getting their items - they actually hugged each other. I started crying!
What song best sums up your volunteering experience:
I'm a member of 'Rock Choir' and we always come out and sing for people. One of the first songs we sang to a big audience was 'Halo'. I think Mustard Tree deserves a Halo, and you feel like you have a little Halo when volunteering - not like we're angels or anything! And of course - 'With a Little Help from My Friends'.
