The importance of Moving Day
Moving on from The Bus Shelter MK is both exciting and scary. During their time with us guests have started the process of rebuilding their lives, and most importantly their self-confidence and self esteem. When the time comes to gain more independence there is a huge amount of excitement - but this is balanced with fear - will I manage? There is so much to organise! I think I will be lonely! I haven't got anything for the property! I just can’t do this! We see the emotional roller coaster in the eyes of the guests and its part of the Support Teams role to ensure that as many of these fears can be alleviated and plans put in place to try to help the guest sustain their tenancy and make it an enjoyable process rather than a frightening one.
The Support Team ensure that tenancies are set up correctly, deposits are paid and secured and future rent payments are manageable (all the 'boring' bits!) but there's a whole other side that the volunteers really support with. We reach out to our volunteer base sharing the exiting news of a move on and outline the items that the guest requires for their new room or property. Sometimes the lists are very small as the property comes fully furnished so some bedding and towels are required - but on other occasions we need to furnish a one bed property - including carpets on some occasions! The week before a move on is exciting - numerous parcels arrive on site for the guests - towels, bedding, microwaves, pots, pans, even larder cupboard food packs - it helps not only the guest moving on but all of the others too as they see the help they will be given in the future. Then on moving day we have people dropping off washing machines, fridge freezers and beds! It's incredible. Often its the first time some of our guests have had things to call their own.
This generosity and kind heartedness makes the move a pleasure - the guests have things to move into their home with rather than walking into an empty shell, which as I'm sure you can image would feel very overwhelming! It means on their first night they can sleep in a bed with brand new bedding (bliss!), use fluffy towels for their morning shower, pop the kettle on and make a cuppa and have food in the kitchen - these 'little' things make the move special, relaxing and enjoyable - they tell our guests - you matter, you are cared for, you aren't on your own.
The kindness shown by the volunteers really boosts the guests view of the world as often they have been treated unfairly and not shown kindness with nothing expected in return.
Occasionally our guests move out of the area and we have one volunteer who has gotten up at the crack of dawn loaded his van, taken the guests and their belonging to their new home and then returned home - over a 300 mile round trip! Giving his time for nothing - a friendly face on move in day goes a long way,
Where possible we have had volunteers offer on going support when guests are in their new home and questions, queries and issues do arise - as does loneliness - this support may be a 'check in' phone call, a walk in the park, a chat over a coffee, or it may be practical help such as helping to redecorate, plumbing in washing machines or popping round with a puncture repair kit and even some hair clippers! The skills of our volunteers is wide and varied
We all want to feel a part of something - and the volunteers really bring the community spirited element of our charity to the guests and this really does bind us - we couldn't do it with out them
From all of us - THANK YOU
Helen Wilson, Operations Manager
