Meet our Volunteer – Emma’s Story
What inspired you to contact The Brick about volunteering opportunities?
I have thought about joining The Brick volunteer team for some time. It is something that I feel passionate about and I genuinely want to help others that are less fortunate.
What’s your previous experience of volunteering?
I currently also volunteer at my local primary school. This role I particularly enjoy. I have been a volunteer at the school for approximately 18months.
Are you employed? Retired? Student? In between Jobs? Unable to work?
Currently unemployed, housewife.
What do you hope to get from volunteering at The Brick?
With my children growing up I am hoping to gain some valuable experience towards gaining employment in the future.
What area of The Brick would you like to or have started volunteering in and why?
I am currently in Dottie’s cafe. However, I am open to try different areas at The Brick. I have experience in Customer services and I am also a qualified fitness instructor, so the options I think could be quite varied going forward!
The Brick Project offers a huge range of services to people who are homeless, in poverty or facing debt crisis. This includes Crisis Intervention, Hospital to Home, Asset Coaching and Wigan’s largest Foodbank. As its name suggests, it provides a safe, solid building block for people in crisis to begin rebuilding their lives.
The Brick Shop is a charity shop selling donated goods, often to people on low incomes. The shop gives clothes free of charge to people referred by Wigan Council. The shop is one of the main hubs within its community.
The Brick Works offers training to increase the employment opportunities for people who are unemployed for a variety of reasons. This may include homelessness or recently housed people referred.
The Brick Giving aims to put an end to poverty and homelessness in Wigan and Leigh. Our #BrickbyBrick campaign is working to raise £175,000 to purchase The Brick Works and make sure no one in our community is left behind.
The Brick Re-Use has been set up to help educate people in the Wigan Borough about recycling and re-use. We also turn unwanted goods into lovingly restored furniture for families in need.
