Can You Volunteer to Help Devizes Opendoors?

I dropped into the new(ish) home of Devizes Opendoors today to meet Mitch, poke my nose in, chat about the work they do and how they need more volunteers. Based at the Southbroom Centre on Victoria Road now, it’s a huge improvement from the last time I visited them at the St John’s Parish Room some years ago…

Supporting anyone with homelessness, in sheltered accommodation, or dealing with vulnerability issues, Opendoors is as the name suggests, open for drop-ins and providing cooked meals and food bank vouchers, offering a laundry and showers, and helpful advice when dealing with support agencies. It is, in short, an invaluable asset to anyone who falls upon challenging times in our town. And face it, no one knows what’s around the next corner, it could happen to any of us.

Whenever I spark up a conversation with someone that I see in town who appears to be on the road, I ask them if they’re aware of the facility, and I guess through word-of-mouth, all seem to know of it. Mitch spoke positively about changes to government policies regarding homelessness, such as the proactive Homelessness Reduction Act, and Trowbridge’s mental health, drug and alcohol support service Turning Point. Angie added how they provided breakfast before they got the bus to Turning Point, ‘cos they’re nice like that!

And that’s what we need to focus on, the local, day-to-day aspect of Opendoors, and quash preconceptions if you were to volunteer, you’d be slaving away in a Victorian workhouse or dingy inner-city soup kitchen. The team were finishing up when I rocked up, Thursday the session runs from 11am-1pm, same on a Monday, and Wednesday it’s open for breakfast at 9.30am, running until 11:30. Friday is an afternoon session from 1-3pm, a roast dinner I believe. The cook was busy cleaning the kitchen, others gathered to collapse the tables down because the centre is hired out, and a kid’s karate club is tonight.

Everyone mucked in, and I sensed a real community spirit about the place. Mitch suggested very rarely was their aggravation with users of the facilities. As you’d imagine, most are too appreciative of it to bring any grievance with them, despite the understandable frustration of their individual situations. In fact, one fellow strode in too late, but they accommodated him, nonetheless, chatted with him, and gave him a bag of food to take away, he was grateful and passive; we are not beyond Thunderdome, just beyond the bridge by the sports club!

Support accommodation is the most common situation in Devizes, and a recently opened Wiltshire Council seven-bedroom property, though this is for those with priority needs, like disabilities or children. Mitch estimated only three people are currently sleeping rough here, “but a lot of the people we support are either sofa surfing, or boaters.” The latter can vasty range in needs, some were “simply living a tin can,” whereas others were self-sufficient yet came in to use the showers. While everyone is an individual case, all needs are catered for and welcomed here without discrimination; the centre refer to them as “guests.” It’s this, which despite any presumptions you may have, makes it congenial, seemingly a happy place. There’s even nice sofas and a bookcase, I could’ve made myself quite at home!

Opendoors operates with around fifty to sixty volunteers, there are many varied roles you could help with, managing food or the clothes bank, helping guests with problems, cooking or serving meals. Mitch stressed the flexibility of both the roles available, and the rota, which she draws up weekly on a spreadsheet. You would be free to decide what shifts you can do, and the minimum, Mitch said, was an hour a month, which is dandy for the busiest of us to accommodate into our schedule, surely?

Guided tour was brief but effective, showers, then an office where guests can get online, and further on, a room where dried or tinned food bags are prepared, working in coordination with the Devizes Food Bank, and a surplus of donated goods from Morrisons and Marks & Spencer. So, a guest at Opendoors can expect four meals a week, and a food bag on Thursdays, as well as use of the facilities, access to warm clothes and donated food. I’d imagine the kettle is always on, and there’s other factors I admit I didn’t consider, things like toiletries.

A typical shift operates with a team of six. They run with two cooks, level two trained, and Mitch suggested they could put anyone interested on the necessary courses, which included things like first aid too, and there was scope for progressing with a scheme called “befriending,” individual case support training. They usually have a receptionist, someone to coordinate the provisions, and someone floating between needed tasks. With holidays and illnesses, Mitch explained how sadly they were forced to close some sessions, and a lack of volunteers meant the teams were feeling pushed to take on more than they wanted to. She felt sorrowful about the situation and often has to step in herself.

“Four sessions a week,” Mitch emphasised, “but people are more than welcome to do one a week, one a month, whatever they’re comfortable with.” She continued to say she was sure there were people willing to help but might not know about them.

That’s why I was there, to let people know about it, encourage people to help in any way they can. Because I’ve been that sofa-surfer, I’ve camped in the forest, slept on the wheelarch of a van. And, you know, you can raise funds and even self-awareness doing a big sleep out, and that’s all good, but remain safe in the knowledge you’ll be returning home as soon as it’s done. You cannot fully extract from this the daily psychological disinclination and stress of being unsettled, wondering where the next meal is coming from, and the humiliation for some, of having to endure this with no silver lining in sight.

Opendoors is invaluable. Like many similar organisations across the world, it offers local folk in need, valuable help and advice, and of course, food, clothes, and hope of shelter, those simple things we all need, and often take for granted. I was honoured to meet up with them once more, to see their new premises and how the organisation has progressed, and I remain grateful and astounded by the challenging work put into it from volunteers, staff and trustees. And hope some reading this will say, you know what, Worrow is right for once in his silly life, I can spare some time to help!

Here’s their website if you do, or contact Nadia for more information, on manager@devizesopendoors.org.uk

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