My name is Charisse Reynolds, I previously attended Job Club this year at Birmingham Settlement in Aston. I was actively searching for work at the time, but I found the support, guidance and advice given to me by Sourour and Louise, motivating and friendly. I was always called the day before Job Club to remind me to attend, which was a very welcoming prompt for me to continue my job search. After getting many unsuccessful applications, I often felt like giving up, demotivated by the lack of results for my efforts. But the Job Club put me in touch with other likeminded people who were feeling the exact same way. We could share job search tips, vacancies we had seen and new schemes that were recently being implemented. If one person didn’t turn up to Job Club, because they had an interview or a job offer, it gave me a positive push towards finding work and being hopeful that I would find work too. 

After applying to a recruitment agency, I soon found work and for a short period of time I was starting to rebuild a scheduled routine. But before long the contracts were withdrawn and work dried up. I had to visit the Job Centre many times and was told that supporting me with travel to attend interviews or the first month of employment was no longer an option available. However, there was a fund for me to attend an interview outside of Birmingham. I was quite frustrated with the idea that I was getting more support to seek work outside of Birmingham rather than seek employment within the area. I asked for advice and support at the Job Club, and they helped me to plan out a reasonable plan of entering employment in a new town.

Step by step I had new concerns and tasks to undertake to make this transition. I didn’t think that I would be able to do it but Sourour and Louise helped me by sharing their opinions and experiences, motivating me about the prospects of something new, whilst highlighting the preparations and requirements to relocate and re-enter employment. I have recently been offered a job working with a popular charity. The work that I do is very rewarding and I am starting to have a different outlook on what the future may bring.

I would like to say a special thank you to Birmingham Settlement, Sourour, Louise and the all the people who attended Job Club. Everyone together made a difference, I am happy to have been involved.

Tashala has been involved with Birmingham Settlement for over a decade and has used multiple services provided by us. “I got to know Birmingham Settlement originally when I took a course to develop basic skills. I later began using the Nursery to help with raising my daughter. I had been using the shop in Erdington for a while but at the time I didn’t realise they were part of the same thing. I went in after completing my course and began volunteering.” Tashala volunteered in our shops in Erdington, Wylde Green and occasionally Sutton Coldfield.

From there Tashala’s experience grew and she started to get more involved, she told us. “The shop was a great way to buy affordable things for my daughter. She was the best dressed child in school! Going into the shop allowed me to get away from things and was and is a great place to take my kids.”

“I later encountered financial issues and sought money advice from Birmingham Settlement too. The help they gave me was fantastic. Thirty minutes of advice did so much compared to other help I’ve received. It was a lot of stress because it’s difficult when looking for help. They sorted it all out and made me like I didn’t need to worry.”

“I’ve been involved with Birmingham Settlement since before my daughter could walk, and now she loves it too.” Having recently turned fourteen, Tashala’s daughter now volunteers with us in our shop in Erdington too.

Tashala found a job whilst volunteering with us and has since stopped volunteering , but she still help out when she can.

“Birmingham Settlement helped me a lot. The charity is very dear to me and my daughter and helped me to believe in myself.”

Jennifer enjoys doing something with her time and likes the variety she gets from volunteering in our shop. Jennifer has learned a wide range of retail and customer service skills while volunteering with us. “To me it’s just a real job. Even though it’s not paid that’s how I treat it.” Jennifer has also built relationships with people, which has helped to reduce her isolation.

“It surprised me what it’s like. When people come in it helps them through difficulties. They come in, buy goods and leave pleased with it. It’s a community thing. For example a customer came in about their sister who was in a really hard place and was destitute. We were able to help in practical ways by finding them furniture. It’s great to be able to help people and sometimes when they come in we can refer them to other areas of the Settlement. “

What made you want to volunteer in the first place?

“I wanted a change in career. Due to health problems I had been working in a low-stress environment, mostly in cleaning, and catering over the last 15 years. As I got better I completed. As I got better I completed a course and the provider pointed me towards voluntary work.”

What do you like and dislike about volunteering with us?

“The experience has been very positive. I feel like I’m learning all the time everyday, gaining more valuable experience. Everybody is very friendly. Being unemployed is very isolating so it’s nice to be near people. I tried really hard to think of something bad to tell you to help other volunteers who might follow but I couldn’t think of anything. It’s been such a good opportunity to learn because it’s work I would really like to do and it’s hard to break into the area because when you’re looking for a job they always want experience. It’s hard to find that first job to give you a chance to develop your skills.”

How did you feel about the training/support you were given here?

“First of all I was given all the basic knowledge I needed and it was very helpful to get started. Everybody is very patient and supportive here. I’m always asking questions and everybody is willing to help me. Sometimes you just have to learn as you’re going along as you need to know so much to be on reception, but everybody has been very supportive. It might be easier for someone already with experience. I do feel the training and support is good. It’s a very nice atmosphere to work in.”

Do you use any Birmingham Settlement’s other services?

“I went to the Job Club recently and it was very interesting. I’ve had advice from other agencies before but I really learned a lot. I had one-to-one advice to help me with positive thinking and how to prepare for interviews, as well as using LinkedIn. At home I look at example questions, but it was really helpful and more realistic to be with someone and actually practice answering the important questions I could be asked.”

Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience with us?

“I’m very happy with it so far. I enjoy coming into work everybody. I appreciate the great opportunity I’ve been given.”

Rachel enjoys working with the people in the shop, getting to know the regular customers and having fun. “Some of the customers haven’t got anybody to talk to so it makes their day,” Rachel told us. Rachel has gained experience working in the shop and learned a lot about health and safety, which is a field she is interested working in. Volunteering with us has helped Rachel to speak to more people and come out of her shell. Rachel explained that she has achieved personal growth while volunteering with us also: “When it gets busy I used to get flustered but now I take it in my stride”.

• Learning what Gift Aid is,
• Inputting new donors on the database,
• Gift Aid donation sheets in a spreadsheet,
• Making judgements about what information to include.
• Mystery Shopper feedback sheets in a Word document,
• I put letters and booklets in envelopes to be posted,
• I also phoned some of the charity shops to get information for donor sheets,
• I learned about the importance of financial codes/campaigns for post etc to help monitor/report where money has come from and gone,
• I got taught how to upload pictures and videos on the blog and on the Birmingham settlement website as well.
• I learned about ways of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) including adding links and tags to posts to the blog.
• I learned about customising privacy settings and using features such as ‘embargo’ to decide what people can see.
• I learned about different tools and software to help set up and run a website.

It has been a worthwhile thing to do. I have enjoyed my time here and I have gained some new knowledge about the different systems they use in the office for each team as well.”

“Volunteering has given me focus, a reason to come out of the house and do something useful. It has helped to create order out of chaos,” Sally told us.

After a career as a nurse Sally had a large gap where she was out of work, but she has found that volunteering with Birmingham Settlement has helped to “orientate” herself to a workplace again, as well as gain confidence to interact with others with widely varied experiences and backgrounds.

Sally looks forward to coming into the shop and meet with the friends she has made. Being around similar people has helped Sally to realise that she’s not as bad off as she thought compared to people of a similar age and sees that others have their own issues to sort out as well.

“I’ve enjoyed all of my time here and gained a varied experience. As you mature in age you have to take on a lot of new things and cope with more than when you were younger, and volunteering has helped to prepare me for that.”

Lilly finds all aspects of the work interesting and enjoys doing it because she’s learning things. “I’ve gained a lot from working here. I had never worked in a shop before and I’ve learned about shops work, I gained confidence and developed my communication skills. I also have fun.”

Lilly has made several personal achievements by volunteering with us. “I’ve gotten more confident and don’t feel that shy anymore and I talk more than I used to. I’ve also overcome my nervousness of working on the till as I hadn’t done it before.” Lilly doesn’t currently use any other of our services but has recently learned about our Job Club and is interested in getting involved.

Elsa is one of Birmingham Settlement’s newest volunteers and has been with us for barely two weeks now. She volunteers on reception at the Centre for the Aston Family (CAF). Working at the CAF is helping Elsa to gain experience and learn more about the local community, “It’s a real lively place, which gives you many opportunities to get involved and learn.  There are so many projects on offer that are good for the community”. When Elsa started she was scared at first but is settling in well. She hopes that volunteering with us will help her to build her confidence and skills. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity and the support has been fantastic so far. I am getting to know the staff and building good relations, though I don’t know everybody’s name yet”. Elsa has also attended Birmingham Settlement’s Job Club, which she found very useful.

Kamran came to Birmingham Settlement in 2011 shortly after completing his degree in Criminal Justice and Social Welfare. “I joined Birmingham Settlement to gain experience of working with vulnerable adults,” Kamran explained.

“I like everything about Birmingham Settlement. The people are friendly, everybody worked as a team and I didn’t feel I was on my own. The support here was the best support I could ever have had; they even supported me when I was looking for a job.”

Kamran joined our Money Advice – Outreach & Training team in order to do something with Probation, but as time went on his career path changed. “The more I worked here the more I saw money advice and how it helps and changes people’s lives. I decided to stay in the field as I can see the difference I’m making for people.”

Kamran was offered a job with Birmingham Settlement and is now working for us as a trainee Money Adviser.

“Everyone I spoke to told me that I was taking the right path in becoming a volunteer in order to get a job. I would advise anyone to start off as a volunteer as it is easier to get a job while already working.”

“It’s changed me”.