More than 80 members of the local community came together on Thursday 28 September to celebrate the impact that local charity Worcester Community Trust has had during 2022 and 2023.
The charity runs six community hubs throughout Worcester, as well as wide range of wellbeing and community projects such as DAWN, which supports people who are experiencing or have experienced domestic abuse, and its wellbeing job clubs which help people manage any barriers to employment that they may be facing.
Between April 2022 and March 2023, the charity supported more than 2,000 local people through their projects and welcomed more than 10,000 visitors into their community hubs. Volunteers gave just over 6,900 hours of their time during this period to support the Trust’s activities.
As part of the celebration event, attendees also gathered to witness to the official grand opening of the charity’s new electrical training centre at it’s Building Block in Warndon.
The new electrical training centre is situated within the recent extension to The Building Block, which was funded by Worcester City Council via the Accelerated Townsfund. It is offering a range of accredited qualifications for local professionals as well as offering short introductory courses in electrics for members of the public.
The ribbon was cut by Building Block volunteer Jules, who made a poignant speech about her journey with Worcester Community Trust.
Having left Worcester to join the army, Jules returned to Worcester in 2022 following injury, bullying, sexual assault and experiencing domestic abuse within her relationship. She found the DAWN project, and her journey with Worcester Community Trust developed from there.
“From the moment I sent that first email to the DAWN project, I felt heard. DAWN give free advice, they listen, they empower victims, and the services are all tailor made to support each victim. They offer support through crisis situations but also beyond that.
“The DAWN project staff found I had a keen interest in DIY and practical activities, so took me over to meet the team at The Building Block. I soon started as a volunteer and supported groups from the Trusts’ JOY and DAWN courses to access the courses delivered by The Building Block.
“When I started volunteering at The Building Block, I could hardly speak to anyone, I was very withdrawn and lacked in confidence. All of the staff were so understanding and patient with my needs. 12 months on, I am able to open up and be honest about what I have been through, and challenge myself outside of my comfort zone, like giving this speech today. Coming here has literally saved my life”.
Guests at the event were treated to delicious food provided by SB Kitchens, whose owner Shaista was a former client of the Trust’s job coaching service. The project helped Shaista set up her own catering business which she now runs in the local area.
Jon Newey, CEO of Worcester Community Trust who also held the charitiy’s AGM at the event commented:
“This was our first annual celebration event and I felt incredibly proud to celebrate the impact that all our staff, volunteers and partners have had throughout the past year. From hosting warm hubs, Covid clinics and community kitchens over the winter, to the amazing work our projects do throughout the year, it has been an incredibly rewarding 12 months.
“Over the next 12 months we will be focusing on developing our six community hubs to make sure they are attractive and fit-for-purpose, continuing to respond to the cost-of-living crisis, empowering local communities to design and influence services and developing our youth service to become the lead youth organisation in the city.
“I would like to encourage local providers and community members to take a look at our website or get in touch to see how they can take advantage of the incredible range of support and opportunities we are able to offer”.
To find out more about Worcester Community Trust and to read their annual impact report, visit worcestercommunitytrust.org.uk.
Photo: Jules, Pete Miller Construction Skills Manager; Jon Newey, CEO and Bridget Brickley, Chair of The Board of Trustees at Worcester Community Trust.