I work for the welfare rights project, in the afternoon, giving advice to people about benefits, housing, and general rights. I generally come in early, to have the free vegan lunch. I sit upstairs and check out who is booked in – sometimes they have a file at the Centre with lots of history about their issues, sometimes they are a totally unknown quantity. Typically I see between 1 and 5 people in an afternoon, it can be hectic, it can be very quiet; cases are mostly about incapacity and housing but all sorts of things can come up. It’s fascinating from a personal point of view; and I also get. There are also a lot of mental health issues that aren’t being addressed by mainstream, government services. I finish up about 4, then write reports and follow up the afternoon’s work with phone calls or letters. I do enjoy the Friday morning meeting of all the welfare rights workers, a big debriefing on all the week’s events – it makes the volunteering a shared experience.

My class, like most at the Centre is a drop-in, so sometimes I’ve got 1 student, sometimes 7 or 8. For some reason they’re mostly women – maybe because of the wonderful crèche facilities at BUCFP. I arrive at 10am sharp, with the material I’ve prepared beforehand, get a cup of tea, and do a little photocopying. Occasionally the students will buy the textbook, more often I copy bits and use them in the lessons. Usually I sit in the main area and wait to see who turns up: it’s never possible to guess who’ll be here. Sometimes I stay in the main area when it’s quiet – it’s handy for mothers who have children in the crèche, they can pop in and out. Then again, we’ve had plenty of lessons with a baby playing on the table. Sometimes we go to the downstairs classroom when we want a quiet lesson. The last time I taught we crept through the crèche and out into Tarner Park; it was lovely, the sun was shining, it was the last lesson before summer and I just chatted with the students. I teach beginners level EFL, 90 minute lesson, 40 minutes with a break in between. At times I think it would be nice if the structure was more formal, if there was some consistency of attendance rather than a drop-in but the students’ lives don’t really make that a possibility. The topic of the lessons varies according to the needs of the students, I don’t really mind what we talk about. Some students just want to chat, others want more formal instruction. I often talk about work or food – most people can relate to food in some way and talking about food can help them feel at home, can give them a chance to talk about their culture. The students come from all around the world, India, Africa, Eastern Europe, it’s always changing. After the lesson I stay in the Centre for the vegan lunch. I’ve been here about 4 years, I’m familiar with the place and all the people, I feel so comfortable here and I just like teaching.

I come in about 10 o’clock and check out the kitchen, and then, always, put a big pan of water on to boil. At that point I don’t know why I’m boiling a big pot of water, but I know it’ll be needed. Then I look at what is in the fridge, what food we have around, what has been cooked in the previous few days – there’s no point making a curry if someone else has made curry the day before. It can be frustrating sometimes – no tinned tomatoes, no chickpeas today. I usually cook on my own because the kitchen is too small for lots of people: I’ve seen 4 people cooking in there and it’s like the Keystone Cops. Then again, I wouldn’t mind working with a regular colleague, there was one bloke I got on with, cooked with him for a few weeks, but then he moved on. That happens a lot here. After I’ve decided what I’m making I get everything started, maybe send someone down to the shop for something we’re missing, then I can relax a bit, chat with the workers, the other volunteers, pop outside for a cigarette.
At about 12ish I make sure everything is ready for 1, I make a salad (usually) and get ready for serving. I make enough for 50 or so vegan meals, £1.50 for an adult, 60p for a child. Serving can be quite mad for 20 minutes or so, but then I can sit down and have something to eat. But usually I don’t fancy food by then and I put some food in a container and have it at home later. I enjoy cooking here, I like it here and want to get more involved with other things. I run the recording workshop course but I’m also thinking about standing as a trustee in October.

In the Arts & Crafts group I originally tended to work on my own, producing big pictures to display at the festival; but recently I’ve been helping people to see what they might do, working more as an assistant, keeping it contained, in the moment. The last time I went there was a digital camera session with people, which was great… I’m drawn closer to the art group by creative involvement, people are more alive. We set an example for people by doing things, by getting involved: if people have given up then you can set an example by giving, and what you put out there comes back, you reap what you sow. I’ve never felt drained by what is going on here at BUCFP, by other people; there’s such a good family atmosphere, such a mixture of ages and types. I think this environment has gone through a lot of growing, it’s very mature; and there are not many places where you can do what you want to do – there are normally so many boundaries. I also volunteer at the allotment. I made a bench up there last week. I usually go up 2 or 3 times a week, there’s lots of cleaning, picking up rubbish, building fires, helping building stuff when needed. It’s so calming, no drivers, so mellow, spending the day with like-minded people. An extension of the centre really, but outside – a smaller circle of people so not so chaotic, more focussed. People can either work as part of a team or on their own, either way is fine. People get things off their chests up there – it’s a growing process for the land and for the person.

I come in about 10 o’clock, listen to answer phone, get out the tins, check everything adds up financially, prepare the new sheets, organise myself, and then the door opens… madness ensues, hundreds of people flock in, asking for help, asking questions, looking for things, talking all at once. The phone rings constantly as I try to direct people to the worker they need, or the organisation that can help them, or the place they need to be referred to; as well as dealing with volunteer expenses, making referrals, giving out food, dealing with the post, and doing a little photocopying and admin work in the rare spaces. Sometimes I’m also training a new volunteer, which can be easy or hard.
Why do I volunteer here? Because I love the Centre, and because it’s a place I can access fairly easily. But also because I know enough about the place and its systems to be useful here, competent, which isn’t something I get many other places in my life.