February 2012

In July 2011 two store managers, and a barista from Newcastle decided they were going to raise even more money for a local charity by taking part in a trek of Machu Picchu in Peru.  These dedicated partners are Laura Haigh, Becca Haigh and Stephen Langley.

I applied to Partner Fund this time last year to support me in completing the massage specialism of my NVQ in beauty therapy. I could then hold regular relaxation mornings alongside local charities in Liverpool to support women who have been victims of domestic violence. 

I feel strongly about volunteering my time in this way, because sometimes I don’t think women get the help they really need or deserve, and when they do it’s such a long road back to recovery.  Every positive influence they get gives them that little boost they need.  It’s unbelievable how lovely these women are, but at the same time how sad they are; they have lost all confidence in themselves and in the people around them.  When you find out most of them have children that have been through this with them, and are living with them in the hostels, it’s heartbreaking.

I run Jolidays, a project through the University of Bristol Volunteering. We organise day and weekend trips for Young Carers in the Bristol area, providing much needed respite for these children. The application was very straightforward, and I was then invited to a training day, where I was given a lot of advice and support in running my project. I learned how best to run the charity and the importance of future planning and budgeting, as well as how to make the most of the resources available to me. We were helped not only with the Starbucks Youth Action grant, but with ideas and tips in composing future grant applications.